Nozzle geometry for organic vapor jet printing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9797039-B2
Application number	US-201414569129-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2014
Priority date	Mar 25, 2009
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

A first device is provided. The device includes a print head. The print head further includes a first nozzle hermetically sealed to a first source of gas. The first nozzle has an aperture having a smallest dimension of 0.5 to 500 microns in a direction perpendicular to a flow direction of the first nozzle. At a distance from the aperture into the first nozzle that is 5 times the smallest dimension of the aperture of the first nozzle, the smallest dimension perpendicular to the flow direction is at least twice the smallest dimension of the aperture of the first nozzle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
providing a first device, the first device comprising:
a print head, further comprising a first nozzle hermetically sealed to a first source of gas and a second nozzle hermetically sealed to a second source of gas different from the first source of gas;
wherein the first nozzle has an aperture having a smallest dimension of 0.5 to 500 microns in a direction perpendicular to a flow direction of the first nozzle;
wherein the second nozzle has an aperture having a smallest dimension of 0.5 to 500 microns in a direction perpendicular to a flow direction of the second nozzle;
wherein, at a distance from the aperture into the first nozzle that is 5 times the smallest dimension of the aperture of the first nozzle, the smallest dimension perpendicular to the flow direction is at least twice the smallest dimension of the aperture of the first nozzle;
wherein, at a distance from the aperture into the second nozzle that is 5 times the smallest dimension of the aperture into the second nozzle, the smallest dimension perpendicular to the flow direction is at least twice the smallest dimension of the aperture of the second nozzle;
wherein the gas provided by the first source of gas includes a first organic material having a first sublimation temperature; and
wherein the gas provided by the second source of gas includes a second organic material having a second sublimation temperature at least 10 degrees Celsius different from the sublimation temperature of the first organic material;

maintaining different and independently controllable temperatures at the print head, the first source, of gas, and the second source of gas; and
ejecting a jet of gas from the first nozzle.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
ejecting a jet of gas from the second nozzle.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first device further comprises a third nozzle hermetically sealed to a third source of gas different from the first and second source of gas;
wherein the third nozzle has an aperture having a smallest dimension of 0.5 to 500 microns in a direction perpendicular to a flow direction of the third nozzle;
wherein, at a distance from the aperture into the third nozzle that is 5 times the smallest dimension of the aperture into the third nozzle, the smallest dimension perpendicular to the flow direction is at least twice the smallest dimension of the aperture of the third nozzle.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:
ejecting a jet of gas from the third nozzle.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
mixing multiple organic sources to form the first gas source.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
continuously varying a mixture of gasses to form the first gas source.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first nozzle has a constant cross section from the aperture to a distance from the aperture into the first nozzle that is 2 times the smallest dimension of the aperture of the first nozzle.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the smallest dimension of the first nozzle in a direction perpendicular to a flow direction of the first nozzle continuously increases with distance from the aperture of the first nozzle for distances in the range of zero to 2 times the smallest dimension of the aperture of the first nozzle.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the smallest dimension of the first nozzle in a direction perpendicular to a flow direction of the first nozzle increases linearly with distance from the aperture of the first nozzle for distances in the range of zero to 2 times the smallest dimension of the aperture of the first nozzle.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first nozzle is formed from a metal or a ceramic.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first nozzle is formed of silicon.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first nozzle has an aperture having a smallest dimension of 100 to 500 microns in a direction perpendicular to a flow direction of the first nozzle.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first nozzle has an aperture having a smallest dimension of 20 to 100 microns in a direction perpendicular to a flow direction of the first nozzle.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first nozzle has an aperture having a smallest dimension of 0.5 to 20 microns in a direction perpendicular to a flow direction of the first nozzle.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cross section of the first nozzle perpendicular to the flow direction of the first nozzle is circular.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cross section of the first nozzle perpendicular to the flow direction of the first nozzle is rectangular.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aperture is formed in a protrusion from the print head.

18. A display manufactured according to the method of claim 1 .

Assignees

• Univ Michigan Regents

Inventors

• Forrest Stephen R
• Mcgraw Gregory

Classifications

• C23C14/12 Primary

  Organic material · CPC title

• C23C14/228

  Gas flow assisted PVD deposition · CPC title

• C23C14/54

  Controlling or regulating the coating process · CPC title

• B41J2/005

  characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material (printing by selective application of impact or pressure on a printing or impression-transfer material B41J2/22) · CPC title

• C23C14/04 Primary

  Coating on selected surface areas, e.g. using masks · CPC title