Organic layer deposition apparatus and method of manufacturing organic light-emitting display device by using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9512515-B2
Application number	US-201213492144-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2012
Priority date	Jul 4, 2011
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

An organic layer deposition apparatus, and a method of manufacturing an organic light-emitting display device using the organic layer deposition apparatus. The organic layer deposition apparatus includes: an electrostatic chuck that fixedly supports a substrate that is a deposition target; a deposition unit including a chamber maintained at a vacuum and an organic layer deposition assembly for depositing an organic layer on the substrate fixedly supported by the electrostatic chuck; and a first conveyer unit for moving the electrostatic chuck fixedly supporting the substrate into the deposition unit, wherein the first conveyer unit passes through inside the chamber, and the first conveyer unit includes a guide unit having a receiving member for supporting the electrostatic chuck to be movable in a direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing an organic light-emitting display device, the method comprising:
supporting a substrate with an electrostatic chuck;
conveying the electrostatic chuck supporting the substrate into a chamber maintained at a vacuum by using a first conveyer unit passing through the chamber, the first conveyer unit comprising a guide unit comprising a receiving member for supporting the electrostatic chuck to be movable; and
depositing at least one organic layer on the substrate by using an organic layer deposition assembly disposed in the chamber while the substrate or the organic layer deposition assembly moves relative to the other,
wherein the electrostatic chuck is moved by the first conveyer unit in the chamber while spaced apart from the first conveyer unit,
wherein the substrate is spaced apart from the organic layer deposition assembly, and
wherein the receiving member comprises:
a first receiving member extending under a portion of a lower surface of the electrostatic chuck;
a second receiving member above the first receiving member and extending over a portion of an upper surface of the electrostatic chuck; and
a connection member connecting the first receiving member and the second receiving member to each other such that the substrate is exposed to the organic layer deposition assembly.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the conveying of the electrostatic chuck comprises levitating the electrostatic chuck to be spaced apart from the first conveyer unit.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the conveying of the electrostatic chuck comprises:
generating a driving force by a driving unit to move the electrostatic chuck; and
levitating the electrostatic chuck to move without contacting the first conveyer unit by a magnetic levitation bearing.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the conveying of the electrostatic chuck comprises measuring a gap interval between the first conveyer unit and the electrostatic chuck by a gap sensor.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the conveying of the electrostatic chuck comprises:
controlling a magnetic levitation bearing by the gap sensor to provide a magnetic force; and
levitating the electrostatic chuck to move without contacting the first conveyer unit by the magnetic force.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the magnetic levitation bearing comprises a side magnetic levitation bearing disposed to face a side of the electrostatic chuck between the upper and lower surfaces of the electrostatic chuck, and an upper magnetic levitation bearing disposed to face the upper surface of the electrostatic chuck.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the measuring of the gap interval comprises:
measuring a gap interval between the electrostatic chuck and the first conveyer unit along a first direction by a first guide sensor; and
measuring a gap interval between the electrostatic chuck and the first conveyer unit along a second direction crossing the first direction by a second guide sensor.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the levitating of the electrostatic chuck to move without contacting the first conveyer unit by the magnetic force comprises:
levitating the electrostatic chuck to be spaced apart from the first conveyer unit along a first direction by a first magnetic levitation bearing; and
levitating the electrostatic chuck to be spaced apart from the first conveyer unit along a second direction crossing the first direction by a second magnetic levitation bearing.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, after the depositing of the organic layer:
removing the substrate on which the deposition has been completed out of the chamber by using the first conveyer unit;
separating the substrate from the electrostatic chuck; and
returning the electrostatic chuck separated from the substrate to support another substrate with the electrostatic chuck by using a second conveyer unit disposed outside the chamber.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the deposition assembly comprises a plurality of organic layer deposition assemblies disposed in the chamber, and the depositing is performed by using the plurality of organic layer deposition assemblies in sequence.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the chamber comprises a first chamber and a second chamber interconnected with each other, and the organic layer deposition assembly comprises a plurality of organic layer deposition assemblies disposed in each of the first and second chambers, wherein the depositing is continuously performed with the substrate moving between the first chamber and the second chamber.

12. The method of claim 1 ; wherein the organic layer deposition assembly comprises:
a deposition source configured to discharge a deposition material;
a deposition source nozzle unit disposed at a side of the deposition source and comprising a plurality of deposition source nozzles; and
a patterning slit sheet disposed to face and spaced apart from the deposition source nozzle unit, having a plurality of patterning slits, and being smaller than the substrate.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first conveyer unit further comprises:
a linear motor for generating a driving force to move the electrostatic chuck; and
a magnetic levitation bearing for levitating the electrostatic chuck to be spaced apart from the receiving member.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the linear motor comprises a magnetic rail disposed at a side of the electrostatic chuck between the upper and lower surfaces of the electrostatic chuck and a coil disposed in the receiving member.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the conveying of the electrostatic chuck comprises generating a driving force by a driving unit to move the electrostatic chuck, and
wherein the magnetic levitation bearing comprises a side magnetic levitation bearing disposed to face a side of the electrostatic chuck between the upper and lower surfaces of the electrostatic chuck, and an upper magnetic levitation bearing disposed to face an upper surface of the electrostatic chuck.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the receiving member accommodates the linear motor.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein a receiving groove defined by the first receiving member, the second receiving member, and the connection member accommodates a side of the electrostatic chuck between the upper and lower surfaces of the electrostatic chuck.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the first conveyer unit comprises a magnetic levitation bearing for levitating the electrostatic chuck to be spaced apart from the receiving member, the magnetic levitation bearing comprising a side magnetic levitation bearing disposed at the connection member, and an upper magnetic levitation bearing disposed on the first receiving member.

Assignees

• Chang Seok-Rak
• Nam Myeng-Woo
• Kang Hee-Cheol
• Kim Jong-Heon
• Hong Jong-Won
• Chang Uno
• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chang Seok-Rak
• Nam Myeng-Woo
• Kang Hee-Cheol
• Kim Jong-Heon
• Hong Jong-Won
• Chang Uno

Classifications

• H10P72/3314

  Continuous loading and unloading into and out of a processing chamber, e.g. transporting belts within processing chambers · CPC title

• H10P72/3204

  using magnetic elements · CPC title

• H10P72/0456

  in-line arrangement · CPC title

• H10P72/72

  using electrostatic chucks · CPC title

• H10P72/36

  using air tracks · CPC title