Patent ID: 8033648

Claim:
A pattern forming apparatus which forms a predetermined pattern of an electroconductive liquid on a printing medium, the apparatus comprising: a pattern forming substrate which includes an insulating substrate and a plurality of electrodes arranged on the insulating substrate; an electric potential applying mechanism which selectively applies a first electric potential and a second electric potential to each of the plurality of electrodes, the first electric potential making overlapping areas, of a surface of the pattern forming substrate, which overlap with the plurality of electrodes respectively, have a first liquid repellent property, and the second electric potential making the overlapping areas have a second liquid repellent property which is lower than the first liquid repellent property; a liquid supplying mechanism which supplies, to the surface of the pattern forming substrate, a first amount of the electroconductive liquid having an original pattern with a shape which is different from a shape of the predetermined pattern; an electric potential controller programmed to control the electric potential applying mechanism so as to apply the second electric potential to certain electrodes, among the plurality of electrodes, corresponding to the pattern, and to apply the first electric potential to other electrodes, among the plurality of electrodes, not overlapping with the pattern so as to move the first amount of the electroconductive liquid to form the predetermined pattern on the surface of the pattern forming substrate; and a transferring mechanism which transfers, to the printing medium, the first amount of the electroconductive liquid which is arranged to form the predetermined pattern on the surface of the pattern forming substrate, by bringing the first amount of the electroconductive liquid into contact with the printing medium.