Actively cooled heat sink for OVJP print head
An organic vapor jet printing (OVJP) device is provided that includes an OVJP print head having a nozzle configured to eject an organic material entrained in a carrier gas, one or more heaters to heat the nozzle, and one or more heat sinks to remove heat from the region of the nozzle. OVJP deposition devices and techniques are also provided in which heat sinks are arranged in the region of one or more OVJP nozzle, which maintain an ambient temperature of not more than 40 C. when the print head is operated at an operating temperature of 450 C.
1 . An organic vapor jet printing (OVJP) device comprising:
an OVJP print head comprising:
a nozzle configured to eject an organic material entrained in a carrier gas;
a first heater disposed on a first side of the OVJP print head; and
a second heater disposed on a second side of the OVJP print head, wherein the OVJP print head is disposed between the first and second heaters;
a first heat sink disposed adjacent to the first heater and separated from the first heater by a first air gap; and
a second heat sink disposed adjacent to the second heater and separated from the second heater by a second air gap, wherein the OVJP print head is movable independently of the first heat sink and the second heat sink.
2 . The OVJP device of claim 1 , further comprising a first bearing disposed adjacent to the first heat sink.
3 . The OVJP device of claim 2 , wherein at least a portion of the first bearing is separated from the first heat sink by a third air gap.
4 . The OVJP device of claim 2 , wherein the first bearing is a gas bearing.
5 . The OVJP device of claim 2 , wherein the first bearing is a flat plate.
6 . The OVJP device of claim 2 , wherein the first bearing is attached to the first heat sink with a connector having a low thermal conductivity.
7 . The OVJP device of claim 6 , wherein the connector has a thermal conductivity of not more than 15 W/mK.
8 . The OVJP device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second heat sinks comprises a copper block or plate.
9 . The OVJP device of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the first and second heat sinks comprises a water cooling system configured to remove heat from the copper block or plate.
10 . The OVJP device of claim 9 , wherein a total maximum horizontal width of the first heat sink, the first heater, the nozzle, the second heater, and the second heat sink is not more than 15 mm.
11 . The OVJP device of claim 10 , wherein the total maximum horizontal width is not more than 10 mm.
12 . The OVJP device of claim 11 , wherein the total maximum horizontal width is not more than 6 mm.
13 . The OVJP device of claim 1 , wherein the heat sink comprises a block of insulation.
14 . The OVJP device of claim 13 , wherein the block of insulation is movable in conjunction with the OVJP print head.
15 . The OVJP device of claim 13 , wherein the block of insulation comprises a multi-layer insulation.
16 . The OVJP device of claim 1 , further comprising an insulating jacket disposed around one or more gas lines connecting the OVJP print head to one or more sources of carrier gas and organic material, the insulating jacket comprising an internal thermally conductive jacket arranged and configured to heat the one or more gas lines.
17 . The OVJP device of claim 16 , wherein the insulating jacket comprises a vacuum jacket surrounding the internal thermally conductive jacket.