Thin film deposition apparatus
View Patent ↗A thin film deposition apparatus is disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes i) a deposition source configured to discharge a deposition material, ii) a deposition source nozzle unit disposed at a side of the deposition source and comprising a plurality of deposition source nozzles arranged in a first direction and iii) a patterning slit sheet disposed opposite to the deposition source nozzle unit and comprising a plurality of patterning slits arranged in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction. The patterning slit sheet may include: i) a base sheet, in which a plurality of sub-patterning slits are formed in the second direction and ii) a plurality of patterning bars disposed between adjacent sub-patterning slits to form the patterning slits. Further, the deposition apparatus is configured to perform deposition while the substrate is moved relative to the thin film deposition apparatus in the first direction.
1. A method of manufacturing an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, the method comprising:
providing a substrate;
discharging a deposition material from a deposition source;
passing the discharged deposition material through a deposition source nozzle unit, wherein the deposition source nozzle unit comprises a plurality of deposition source nozzles arranged in a first direction; and
depositing the discharged deposition material, which has passed through the deposition source nozzle unit, onto the substrate through a patterning slit sheet, wherein the patterning slit sheet is closer to the substrate than the deposition source nozzle unit, and wherein the patterning slit sheet comprises i) a base sheet, in which a plurality of sub-patterning slits are arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction, the base sheet having a plurality of patterning ribs between the plurality of sub-patterning slits, and ii) a plurality of patterning bars on the plurality of patterning ribs, each of the plurality of patterning bars partially blocking each of the adjacent sub-patterning slits, all the plurality of patterning bars being substantially parallel to each other,
wherein the depositing is performed while moving the substrate relative to the patterning slit sheet in the first direction.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the deposition source, the deposition source nozzle unit, and the patterning slit sheet are formed as one body.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the deposition source, the deposition source nozzle unit, and the patterning slit sheet are integrally connected as one body by connection members that guide movement of the deposition material.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the connection members are formed to seal a space between the deposition source, the deposition source nozzle unit, and the patterning slit sheet.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the deposition source nozzles are tilted at a predetermined angle.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the deposition source nozzles comprise deposition source nozzles arranged in two rows in the first direction,
and wherein the deposition source nozzles in the two rows are tilted to face each other.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the deposition source nozzles comprise deposition source nozzles arranged in two rows in the first direction and face the patterning slit sheet.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the base sheet is formed of glass.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein patterning slits are formed as opening regions between adjacent patterning bars.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the width of each of the patterning slits is less than the width of each of the sub-patterning slits.