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 depositing an organic material on a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving the substrate at an inlet chamber;
sealing the inlet chamber;
providing the inlet chamber with a substantially nitrogen environment;
floating the substrate using a gas bearing;
directing at least a portion of the substrate to a print-head chamber and, while floating the substrate using a combination of pressure and vacuum, discharging a quantity of the organic material from a discharge nozzle onto the portion of the substrate;
directing the substrate to an outlet chamber;
partitioning the print-head chamber from the outlet chamber; and
unloading the substrate from the outlet chamber.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising executing at least one intermediate processing step on the substrate before directing at least a portion of the substrate to the print-head chamber.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said at least one intermediate processing step comprises registering the substrate relative to a print-head of the print-head chamber.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a conveying mechanism is used to carry out said step of directing the substrate.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said discharging step forms a patterned film on the substrate.
6. A method for depositing an organic material on a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving the substrate at an inlet chamber;
sealing the inlet chamber;
providing the inlet chamber with a substantially chamber-gas environment, the chamber gas being substantially inert to the organic material;
floating the substrate using a gas bearing;
directing at least a portion of the substrate to a print-head chamber and, while floating the substrate using a combination of pressure and vacuum, discharging a quantity of the organic material from a discharge nozzle onto the portion of the substrate, forming a patterned film thereon;
directing the substrate to an outlet chamber; and,
unloading the substrate from the outlet chamber.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein said chamber gas comprises a substantially pure gas selected from the group consisting of clean dry air, nitrogen, argon, hydrogen, helium, or any combination of the foregoing.
8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising executing at least one intermediate processing step on the substrate before directing at least a portion of the substrate to the print-head chamber.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said at least one intermediate processing step comprises registering the substrate relative to a print-head of the print-head chamber.
10. The method of claim 6 , wherein a conveying mechanism is used to carry out said step of directing the substrate.
11. A method for depositing an organic material on a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving the substrate at an inlet chamber;
sealing the inlet chamber;
providing the inlet chamber with a substantially inert-gas environment;
floating the substrate using a gas bearing;
directing at least a portion of the substrate to a print-head chamber and, while floating the substrate using a combination of pressure and vacuum, discharging a quantity of the organic material from a discharge nozzle onto the portion of the substrate, forming a patterned film thereon;
directing the substrate to an outlet chamber; and,
unloading the substrate from the outlet chamber.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising executing at least one intermediate processing step on the substrate before directing at least a portion of the substrate to the print-head chamber.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said at least one intermediate processing step comprises registering the substrate relative to a print-head of the print-head chamber.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein a conveying mechanism is used to carry out said step of directing the substrate.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein said substantially inert-gas environment is comprised of nitrogen.
16. A method for depositing an organic material on a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a housing comprising a plurality of chambers, including a first chamber, a second chamber, and a print-head chamber;
introducing the substrate into the housing;
providing at least one of the chambers with a substantially non-oxidizing environment;
floating the substrate in at least one of the chambers using a gas bearing;
directing at least a portion of the substrate to the print-head chamber and, while floating the substrate using a combination of pressure and vacuum, discharging a quantity of the organic material from a discharge nozzle onto the portion of the substrate;
directing the substrate away from the print-head chamber;
partitioning the print-head chamber from at least one of the other chambers; and
removing the substrate from the housing.
17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising executing at least one intermediate processing step on the substrate before directing at least a portion of the substrate to the print-head chamber.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein said at least one intermediate processing step comprises registering the substrate relative to a print-head of the print-head chamber.
19. The method of claim 16 , wherein, during said discharging step, said partitioning step isolates the environments of the print-head chamber and the first chamber from each other.
20. The method of claim 16 , wherein a conveying mechanism is used to carry out said step of directing the substrate.
21. The method of claim 16 , wherein said discharging step forms a patterned film on the substrate.