Modular confined organic print head and system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11746408-B2
Application number	US-202117389694-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2021
Priority date	Feb 22, 2018
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosed subject matter provide a vapor distribution manifold that ejects organic vapor laden gas into a chamber and withdraws chamber gas, where vapor ejected from the manifold is incident on, and condenses onto, a deposition surface within the chamber that moves relative to one or more print heads in a direction orthogonal to a platen normal and a linear extent of the manifold. The volumetric flow of gas withdrawn by the manifold from the chamber may be greater than the volumetric flow of gas injected into the chamber by the manifold. The net outflow of gas from the chamber through the manifold may prevent organic vapor from diffusing beyond the extent of the gap between the manifold and deposition surface. The manifold may be configured so that long axes of delivery and exhaust apertures are perpendicular to a print direction.

First claim

We claim:

1. A system comprising:
one or more print heads that eject organic vapor laden gas into a cold-walled chamber and withdraw chamber gas,
one or more distribution nozzles disposed on a chiller plate that surrounds the one or more print heads, wherein the one or more distribution nozzles output confinement gas to isolate the one or more print heads from the chamber ambient,
wherein vapor ejected from the one or more print heads is incident on, and condenses onto, a deposition surface within the cold-walled chamber, and wherein the deposition surface moves relative to the one or more print heads in a direction orthogonal to a platen normal and a linear extent,
wherein the volumetric flow of gas withdrawn by the one or more print heads from the cold-walled chamber is greater than the volumetric flow of gas injected into the cold-walled chamber by the one or more print heads,
wherein the net outflow of gas from the cold-walled chamber through the one or more print heads prevents organic vapor from diffusing beyond the extent of the gap between the one or more print heads and a deposition surface, and
wherein the one or more print heads are configured so that long axes of delivery and exhaust apertures are perpendicular to a print direction.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vapor is ejected from the one or more print heads with a vapor distribution manifold that is formed from perforated sheets of metal.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vapor is ejected from the one or more print heads with a vapor distribution manifold,
wherein the vapor distribution manifold is joined to a surrounding chamber wall via one or more connections, and wherein the connections are not heated.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a cold-walled process chamber that includes a vapor distribution manifold and an aperture assembly of the one or more print heads that both ejects the organic vapor laden inert delivery gas into the cold-walled process chamber and withdraws chamber gas,
wherein the vapor distribution manifold ejects vapor that is incident on, and condenses onto, a deposition surface within the cold-walled process chamber, and
wherein the deposition surface is configured to move relative to the print head in a direction orthogonal to the deposition surface normal and a linear extent of the vapor distribution manifold.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the ejected vapor is incident on, and condenses onto, the deposition surface within the cold-walled process chamber without a shadow mask.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the deposition surface is a platen.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the platen is configured to hold a substrate.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the platen is configured to be cooled by a cooling device.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a deposition aperture to deposit gaseous precursors or substances as deposition materials, wherein the deposition materials are confined to a volume defined by the area under the deposition apertures by a confining flow and localized exhaust.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein a shape of the deposition aperture matches an unmasked area of a substrate on which the deposition materials are deposited.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the unmasked area defines an active device.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the unmasked area has been previously processed.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein a masked area protects the substrate from the deposition materials.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the masked area is removed after the deposition material are deposited, wherein the removal of the masked area is by subsequent processing.

Assignees

• Universal Display Corp

Inventors

• Quinn William E
• Mcgraw Gregory
• King Matthew
• Kottas Gregg

Classifications

• C23C14/228 Primary

  Gas flow assisted PVD deposition · CPC title

• C23C14/12

  Organic material · CPC title

• C23C14/243

  Crucibles for source material (C23C14/28, C23C14/30 take precedence) · CPC title

• H10K50/11

  characterised by the electroluminescent [EL] layers · CPC title

• H10K71/10

  Deposition of organic active material · CPC title