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 system for depositing an organic material on a substrate, comprising:
a housing comprising a plurality of chambers, including at least a print-head chamber and a second chamber;
means for reversibly sealing said print-head chamber and said second chamber;
a print head disposed within the print-head chamber;
a gas bearing disposed within the print-head chamber, said gas bearing comprising a plurality of vacuum and pressure ports;
at least one transport mechanism for moving the substrate into and from the print-head chamber; and,
a controller in communication with the print-head chamber, the means for reversibly sealing, the gas bearing, and the transport mechanism; the controller including a processor circuit in communication with a memory circuit, the memory circuit instructing the processor circuit to:
(a) operate the means for reversibly sealing and the at least one transport mechanism, such that the substrate can be transported into the print-head chamber;
(b) operate the gas bearing, such that the substrate can be floated above the gas-bearing;
(c) energize the print-head, such that the organic material can be printed onto the substrate; and,
(d) operate the means for reversibly sealing and the at least one transport mechanism, such that the substrate can be transported from the print-head chamber.
2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one gas input in said housing.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein said controller is adapted for communication with said gas input.
4. The system of claim 2 , further comprising a vacuum source and an inert-gas source adapted for communication with at least one of the chambers.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein said inert-gas source comprises a nitrogen source.
6. The system of claim 4 , wherein said controller is adapted for communication with said vacuum source and said inert-gas source.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein said communication between said controller and said vacuum source and said inert-gas source is by way of one or more valves.
8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the memory circuit is adapted to instruct the processor circuit to operate said inert-gas source for providing said print-head chamber with an inert-gas environment during a printing operation.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein said print head comprises a print nozzle, and wherein said controller is adapted for communication with said print nozzle for energizing said print nozzle.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein said controller is adapted to identify the location of the substrate within the housing, and to energize the print nozzle at a time when the substrate is at a precise location under the print head.
11. The system of claim 9 , further comprising a plurality of print-heads disposed within said print-head chamber.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of print-heads are arranged in an array.
13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the memory circuit is adapted to instruct the processor circuit to open said means for reversibly sealing said print-head chamber for transporting said substrate into and from the print-head chamber.
14. The system of claim 1 , wherein said means for reversibly sealing comprises one or more gates.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein said means for reversibly sealing further comprises one or more air curtains.
16. The system of claim 1 , wherein said means for reversibly sealing comprises one or more partitions.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein said one or more partitions comprise at least one air curtain acting as a partition.
18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the memory circuit is adapted to instruct the processor circuit to close said means for reversibly sealing said print-head chamber during a printing operation.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the memory circuit is adapted to instruct the processor circuit to operate said inert-gas source for providing said print-head chamber with an inert-gas environment during said printing operation.
20. The system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one transport mechanism comprises at least in part a gas bearing.
21. The system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one transport mechanism comprises at least in part a conveyor.