Method and apparatus for load-locked printing
View Patent ↗The disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for preventing oxidation or contamination during a circuit printing operation. The circuit printing operation can be directed to OLED-type printing. In an exemplary embodiment, the printing process is conducted at a load-locked printer housing having one or more of chambers. Each chamber is partitioned from the other chambers by physical gates or fluidic curtains. A controller coordinates transportation of a substrate through the system and purges the system by timely opening appropriate gates. The controller may also control the printing operation by energizing the print-head at a time when the substrate is positioned substantially thereunder.
1. A method for printing an organic material on a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a housing comprising:
a substrate-receiving region and a substrate-processing region; and
a print-head chamber enclosing at least one print-head having at least one nozzle;
receiving the substrate at the substrate-receiving region;
transporting the substrate to the substrate-processing region;
sealing the substrate-processing region;
providing the substrate-processing region with an inert-gas environment;
floating the substrate in the substrate-processing region, wherein the substrate is floated using a gas bearing comprising a plurality of gas ports and vacuum ports;
while floating the substrate, printing a quantity of the organic material with the at least one print-head having at least one nozzle onto a portion of the substrate; and,
transporting the substrate out of the substrate-processing region.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising after the step of receiving the substrate at the substrate-receiving region:
sealing the substrate-receiving region; and,
providing the substrate-receiving region with an inert-gas environment.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said inert-gas environment comprises a substantially nitrogen-gas environment.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said printing step forms a film on said substrate.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said film comprises a patterned film.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the patterned film is printed on a substrate for an OLED display.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the organic material comprises an OLED material.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the print-head comprises an ink chamber in flow communication with a nozzle.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein a floatation gas used for the plurality of gas ports is an inert gas.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the inert gas is nitrogen.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the inert gas is a noble gas and combinations thereof.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the inert gas is a combination of nitrogen with a noble gas and combinations thereof.