Search

EP-4043106-B1 - FILM FORMING METHOD AND FILM FORMING APPARATUS

EP4043106B1EP 4043106 B1EP4043106 B1EP 4043106B1EP-4043106-B1

Inventors

  • TODA, NAOHIRO

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20220208

Claims (10)

  1. A film forming method for forming a film on a target coating material (102), the method comprising: a coating step of coating a target coating material (102) by discharging liquid from each of a plurality of discharge heads (103) that are arranged in a conveyance direction (10) of the target coating material (102) to be conveyed, wherein, in the coating step, the liquid discharged from each of the plurality of discharge heads (103) is applied to a different location on the target coating material in the conveyance direction (10), characterized in that the target coating material (102) includes a non-permeable substrate and a layer that is provided on the non-permeable substrate, the layer having particles as a main component.
  2. The film forming method according to claim 1, wherein areas of the target coating material (102) in which the liquid discharged from each of the plurality of discharge heads (103) is applied are substantially uniform.
  3. The film forming method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a first discharge head and a second discharge head are included among the plurality of discharge heads, the second discharge head being provided downstream with respect to the first discharge head in the conveyance direction, and wherein the second discharge head applies liquid onto the target coating material 0.3 seconds or more after a point in time at which the first discharge head applies liquid onto the target coating material.
  4. The film forming method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the closer a discharge head (103) is, among the plurality of discharge heads (103), to a downstream side in the conveyance direction (10), the greater a discharged droplet is in size.
  5. The film forming method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein in the coating step, the liquid discharged contains a non-volatile component greater than or equal to 30% per unit volume, the liquid being discharged on a layer having particles as a main component, the layer being provided on a non-permeable substrate of the target coating material (102).
  6. The film forming method according to claim 5, wherein the non-volatile component includes metal oxide particles.
  7. The film forming method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein each of the plurality of discharge heads (103) include a plurality of nozzles arranged in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction (10), the nozzles discharging the liquid.
  8. The film forming method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the target coating material (102) includes an electrode, and wherein, in the coating step, the liquid discharged from each of the plurality of discharge heads is applied to a different location on the electrode in the conveyance direction (10).
  9. A system comprising a target coating material (102) and a film forming apparatus (100) for forming a film on a target coating material (102), the film forming apparatus (100) comprising: a plurality of discharge heads (103) that are arranged in a conveyance direction (10) of the target coating material (102) to be conveyed, the plurality of discharge heads (103) configured to discharge liquid, wherein the liquid discharged from each of the plurality of discharge heads (103) is applied to a different location on the target coating material (102) in the conveyance direction, characterized in that the target coating material (102) includes a non-permeable substrate and a layer that is provided on the non-permeable substrate, the layer having particles as a main component.
  10. The film forming apparatus (100) according to claim 9, wherein the target coating material (102) includes an electrode, and the liquid discharged from each of the plurality of discharge heads (103) is applied to a different location on the electrode in the conveyance direction (10).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present disclosure relates to a film forming method and a film forming apparatus. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART Film forming methods by which a film is formed on a target coating material are known. An application method for applying a coating liquid onto a substrate, wherein multiple inkjet heads are provided in a conveyance direction of the substrate, and droplets of the coating liquid are discharged in multiple stages (see Patent Document 1, for example) is disclosed. Citation List Patent Literature [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-275663 JP 4336885 B2 discloses an inkjet type thin film forming apparatus. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [Technical Problem] In the method of Patent Literature 1, however, the inkjet heads discharge a first type coating liquid and a second type of coating liquid, the first type of coating liquid forming a first layer on the substrate and the second type of coating liquid, different from the first type of coating liquid, forming a second layer on the first layer, and thus there is room for improvement with respect to uniformity of film that is to be formed. According to the present disclosure, an object is to improve uniformity of a film that is to be formed. [Solution to Problem] The invention is defined by the independent claims. The dependent claims relate to preferred embodiments of the invention. [Advantageous Effects of Invention] According to the present disclosure, uniformity of a film to be formed can be improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a drawing illustrating a configuration example of a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment;FIG. 2 is flowchart illustrating an operation example of the film forming apparatus according to the embodiment;FIG. 3 is a drawing illustrating a film formed by the film forming apparatus according to the embodiment;FIG. 4 is a drawing illustrating a film formed by the film forming apparatus according to Example 2;FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating a film formed by the film forming apparatus according to Example 3;FIG. 6 is a drawing illustrating a film formed by the film forming apparatus according to Example 4;FIG. 7 is a drawing illustrating a film formed by the film forming apparatus according to Example 5;FIG. 8 is a drawing illustrating a film formed by the film forming apparatus according to Example 6;FIG. 9 is a drawing illustrating a film formed by the film forming apparatus according to Comparative Example 1; andFIG. 10 is a drawing illustrating a film formed by the film forming apparatus according to Comparative Example 2. DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the invention are described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same constituent elements are denoted with the same reference numerals, and duplicate expressions thereabout are omitted as appropriate. Further, the embodiments described below are examples of a film forming method and a film forming apparatus for embodying the technical concept of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described below. Unless otherwise specified, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements thereof, are not intended to limit the subject matter of the present disclosure to only those described below, and instead are merely intended to indicate examples. Also, the sizes, the arrangements of the members illustrated in the drawings may be exaggerated to clarify the description. The film forming method according to the embodiment is a technique for forming a film on a target coating material. It is to be noted that the film is not particularly limited as long as the structure is formed as a layer with respect to the target coating material. The target coating material includes an electrode substrate (current collector) to be used for storage devices such as batteries, power generation devices such as fuel cells, photovoltaic generation devices, and the like, and includes an electrode in which an electrode material layer such as active material is formed on the electrode substrate. In the film forming method, a liquid with materials including powdery active material and a catalytic composition dispersed therein is applied onto a target coating material, fixed, and then dried. By doing so, an electrode or the like having a film containing the various materials can be formed on the target coating material. Examples for the method of forming a film by applying a liquid onto a target coating material include printing or the like with use of a sprayer, a dispenser, a die coater, or dip coating; or with use of inkjet heads. However, there is a trade-off relationship between the productivity of the aforementioned devices and quality, and thus as productivity is increased in order to meet the demands brought on by market expansion, there is a possibility that defects will increase resulting in a decrease in the