Method of cleaning fluid dispenser by applying suction force and vibrating meniscus

A dispensing system, comprising:

• a dispenser configured to jet a material, including a faceplate with a plurality of nozzles and a plurality of jetting units for jetting the material from the plurality of nozzles, wherein each of the plurality of nozzles has one of the plurality of jetting units;
• a suction apparatus for applying a suction force onto the faceplate, wherein the suction apparatus includes a rectangular orifice with lips that surround the rectangular orifice, the suction apparatus includes a characteristic width, which is a sum of a narrowest width of the rectangular orifice and twice a width of the lips;
• one or more processors;
• and
• one or more memories storing instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the dispensing system to:
• applying the suction force onto a surface of the faceplate using the suction apparatus;
• translating the suction apparatus relative to the faceplate such that a portion of nozzles from the plurality of nozzles being exposed to the suction force changes;
• and
• vibrating each meniscus of the portion of nozzles being exposed to the suction force by the suction apparatus by operating the jetting units,
• wherein the suction force is applied without the surface and the suction apparatus being in contact, and
• wherein, in the vibrating, each meniscus associated with nozzles from the plurality of nozzles that are not being exposed to the suction force is not vibrated, and the characteristic width is less than an excited width of the dispenser, the excited width referring to a width of the portion of nozzles with their associated menisci being vibrated while being exposed to the suction force.

A method of making an article, comprising:

• cleaning a dispenser including a faceplate with a plurality of nozzles and a plurality of jetting units for jetting a material from the plurality of nozzles, wherein each of the plurality of nozzles has one of the plurality of jetting units, the cleaning including:
• applying a suction force onto a surface of the faceplate using a suction apparatus;
• translating the suction apparatus relative to the faceplate such that a portion of nozzles from the plurality of nozzles being exposed to the suction force changes;
• and
• vibrating each meniscus of the portion of nozzles being exposed to the suction force by the suction apparatus by operating the jetting units, wherein the suction force is applied without the surface and the suction apparatus being in contact;
• jetting the material onto a substrate using the dispenser;
• forming a pattern or a layer of the jetted material on the substrate;
• and
• processing the formed pattern or layer to make the article,
• wherein, in the vibrating, each meniscus associated with nozzles from the plurality of nozzles that are not being exposed to the suction force is not vibrated,
• wherein the suction apparatus includes a rectangular orifice with lips that surround the rectangular orifice, the suction apparatus includes a characteristic width, which is a sum of a narrowest width of the rectangular orifice and twice a width of the lips,
• wherein, in the vibrating, the characteristic width is less than an excited width of the dispenser the excited width referring to a width of the portion of nozzles with their associated menisci being vibrated while being exposed to the suction force.