Title:
METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR PRECISION CONTROL OF PRINT HEAD ASSEMBLIES
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO2006089105
Kind Code:
A3
Abstract:
The present invention provides methods and apparatus for controlling the quantity of fluid output (e.g., drop size) by individual nozzles of a print head to a very high precision at a frequency equal to the frequency at which fluid is normally dispensed. This is achieved by mapping fluid quantity control information into the data that represents the image to be printed. Data representative of an image is received and converted into pixel data. In at least one embodiment, the pixel data includes pixels represented by N bits, and the N bits may represent a drop size for the pixel and a union of the N bits may represent a nozzle status. A print head may be controlled based on the pixel data, and the print head may include nozzles that are each adapted to deposit at least one drop size quantity of a fluid on a substrate.
Inventors:
SHAMOUN BASSAM (US)
JOZWIAK JANUSZ (US)
SHANG QUANYUAN (US)
JI HONGBIN (US)
JOZWIAK JANUSZ (US)
SHANG QUANYUAN (US)
JI HONGBIN (US)
Application Number:
PCT/US2006/005614
Publication Date:
October 12, 2006
Filing Date:
February 17, 2006
Export Citation:
Assignee:
APPLIED MATERIALS INC (US)
International Classes:
B41J2/21; B41J2/045; B41M3/00; G02F1/1335
Domestic Patent References:
| WO2002014076A1 | 2002-02-21 |
Foreign References:
| US20040023567A1 | 2004-02-05 | |||
| EP1106360A1 | 2001-06-13 | |||
| EP0675385A1 | 1995-10-04 |
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