Application apparatus and application method

1 . An application apparatus comprising:

an application needle configured to apply, to a target, an application material having viscosity changing under shear;

a drive unit configured to move the application needle up and down, the drive unit comprising a servo motor;

a controller configured to receive i) a type of the application material and ii) an application diameter representing a desired size of a film to be formed at a portion of the target, the portion of the target being a portion where the application material is to be applied, and control the drive unit to move the application needle such that the application material is sheared at a shear speed corresponding to i) the type of the application material and ii) the application diameter; and

a container that holds the application material and has, in its bottom facing the target, a through hole allowing the application needle to protrude from the through hole,

wherein the controller is configured to control the drive unit to move the application needle such that shear is applied to the application material at the shear speed when the application needle passes through the through hole, and

wherein based on i) the type of the application material, ii) the application diameter, and iii) a distance between the application needle and an outer wall of the through hole when the application needle protrudes through the through hole, the controller is configured to determine a moving speed of the application needle in a vertically downward direction, and control the application needle such that the application needle passes through the through hole at the determined moving speed.

2 . The application apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein based on i) the type of the application material and ii) the application diameter, the controller is configured to determine a moving speed of the application needle in a vertically downward direction, and control the application needle such that the application needle passes through the through hole at the determined moving speed.

3 . The application apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to hold a table defining the moving speed associated with i) the type of the application material, ii) the application diameter, and iii) the distance between the application needle and the outer wall of the through hole, and determine the moving speed by referring to the table.

4 . The application apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the application material is any of a pseudoplastic fluid, a dilatant fluid, and a Bingham fluid.

5 . The application apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein for the same distance between the application needle and the outer wall of the through hole and the type of the application material that is the pseudoplastic fluid, the table defines the moving speed to decrease as the application diameter increases.

6 . The application apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein for the same distance between the application needle and the outer wall of the through hole and the type of the application material that is the dilatant fluid, the table defines the moving speed to increase as the application diameter increases.

7 . The application apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein for the same distance between the application needle and the outer wall of the through hole and the type of the application material that is the Bingham fluid, the table defines the moving speed to decrease as the application diameter increases when the application diameter is less than or equal to a predetermined value, and defines the moving speed as being constant regardless of the application diameter when the application diameter is more than the predetermined value.

8 . The application apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein for the same type of the application material and for the same application diameter, the table defines the moving speed to decrease as the distance between the application needle and the outer wall of the through hole increases.

9 . The application apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the application material is a cell-containing solution.

10 . The application apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein, for the same distance between the application needle and the outer wall of the through hole, the table defines the moving speed to decrease as the application diameter increases.

11 . The application apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an application unit configured to include the application needle and the drive unit and supply the application material to a target material-to-be-processed mounted on a worktable;

a cover that spreads over the application unit as seen in a first direction;

a humidity controller configured to control a humidity in a space formed by the cover and the worktable; and

an air passage configured to allow gas with controlled humidity to be supplied from the humidity controller into the space through a flow inlet formed in the cover, wherein

the cover includes a wall, and the wall surrounds the application unit in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and in a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction, and

the application apparatus is configured to adjust the humidity in the space to 80% or more.

12 . The application apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising a humidity sensor configured to measure the humidity in the space and sends a result of measuring the humidity to the humidity controller.

13 . The application apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the flow inlet is located opposite, in the first direction, to the worktable with respect to the application unit.

14 . The application apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein

an exhaust outlet is formed in the cover to allow gas in the space to be discharged into an outside of the space, and

the application unit is located, in the second direction, away from a line connecting the flow inlet to the exhaust outlet.

15 . The application apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein

the wall of the cover includes a pair of walls located at respective ends in the third direction,

the flow inlet is formed in one of the pair of walls, and

the exhaust outlet is formed in another of the pair of walls.

16 . The application apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the flow inlet and the exhaust outlet are formed to occupy the same position in the second direction.

17 . The application apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein in the first direction, the flow inlet and the exhaust outlet are formed opposite to each other with respect to an end of the application unit, the end of the application unit being located opposite to the worktable.

18 . The application apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising a pair of fans placed on the cover, the fans being opposite to each other in at least one of the second direction and the third direction.

19 . The application apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the pair of fans are located away from the flow inlet toward the worktable in the first direction.

20 . The application apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein

the pair of fans each include a surrounding portion and four legs with which the surrounding portion is attached to the cover, and

the four legs extend from a main surface of the surrounding portion in a direction crossing the main surface.

21 . The application apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising a partition located between the application unit and the flow inlet.

22 . The application apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the application material is a cell-containing liquid containing a gelling agent.