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:
providing an OLED manufacturing system comprising a print-head chamber disposed for communication with an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber;
receiving the substrate at the inlet chamber;
establishing a substantially inert-gas environment within at least one of said chambers;
directing at least a portion of the substrate to the print-head chamber and discharging a quantity of organic material from a print-head onto the portion of the substrate;
directing the substrate to the outlet chamber; and,
floating the substrate at a controlled height using a combination of pressure and vacuum during the discharging of the quantity of organic material, wherein the floating comprises using inert-gas bearings.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said inert-gas environment comprises a substantially nitrogen-gas environment.
3. A method for depositing an organic material on a substrate using an OLED manufacturing system comprising a print-head chamber, an inlet chamber, and an outlet chamber, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving the substrate at the inlet chamber;
establishing a substantially inert-gas environment within at least one of said chambers;
directing at least a portion of the substrate to the print-head chamber;
partitioning the print-head chamber from at least one of the other chambers;
while floating the substrate at a controlled height in the print-head chamber, printing a quantity of organic material onto the portion of the substrate, wherein the floating of the substrate at a controlled height comprises using a combination of pressure and vacuum; and
directing the substrate to the outlet chamber.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said directing steps are carried out using at least one transport mechanism.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein said print-head chamber is partitioned from said inlet chamber during printing.
6. The method of claim 3 , wherein said print-head chamber is partitioned from said outlet chamber during printing.
7. The method of claim 3 , wherein said print-head chamber is partitioned from the rest of said system during printing.
8. The method of claim 3 , wherein said step of floating is carried out using inert-gas bearings comprising a gas-bearing surface including vacuum and pressure ports.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said inert-gas bearings comprise nitrogen gas bearings.
10. The method of claim 3 , wherein an inert-gas environment is established in said print-head chamber during printing.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said inert-gas environment comprises a substantially nitrogen-gas environment.
12. A method for depositing an organic material on a substrate using an OLED manufacturing system, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving the substrate into the system;
transporting at least a portion of the substrate to a printing region;
partitioning the printing region from the rest of the system;
establishing a substantially inert-gas environment at the printing region about the substrate;
while floating the substrate at a controlled height at the printing region, printing a quantity of organic material onto the portion of the substrate, wherein the floating of the substrate at a controlled height comprises using a combination of pressure and vacuum;
transporting the substrate away from the printing region; and,
removing the substrate from the system.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said inert-gas environment comprises a substantially nitrogen-gas environment.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein said printing step forms a patterned film.
15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the floating of the substrate comprises floating the substrate using inert-gas bearings.