IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,978,327
Granted Patent B2
US 10,978,327 · App. 16/332,147 · Granted Apr 13, 2021

Micro-structure transfer system

Inventors: Ning Ge (Palo Alto, CA); Ya-Ling Chang (Palo Alto, CA); Helen A. Holder (Palo Alto, CA)
Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
H01L21/67721G03F7/161H01L21/67288H01L21/67706
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,978,327
App. No.
16/332,147
Granted
Apr 13, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A micro-structure transfer system may include a printhead and a pressure control device to control a pressure of fluid coupled with the printhead. The pressure control device forms a meniscus of fluid at a number of nozzles defined within the printhead to pick up a number of micro-structures. A printhead for transferring micro-structures includes a number of fluid chambers, a number of nozzles defined in an orifice plate through which fluid may exit the chambers, and a pressure control device to control a pressure of fluid within each of the chambers. The pressure control device forms a meniscus of the fluid at a number of nozzles defined within the printhead to pick up a number of micro-structures.

Claims (37)

1. A micro-structure transfer system comprising:

a testing device to test micro-structures on a wafer to produce wafer map information defining operability of each of the micro-structures;

a printhead; and

a pressure control device to control a pressure of fluid coupled with the printhead;

wherein the pressure control device is to form a meniscus of fluid at a number of nozzles defined within the printhead to pick up a number of micro-structures; and

wherein the pressure control device is to handle the number of micro-structures based on the wafer map information.

2. The micro-structure transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the printhead further comprises a number of fluid ejection elements to selectively deposit at least some of the micro-structures on a target substrate by ejecting the fluid through the nozzles.

3. The micro-structure transfer system of claim 2 , wherein the micro-structure transfer system deposits the micro-structures on the target substrate based on a pixel pitch defining a position of the micro-structures on the target substrate.

4. The micro-structure transfer system of claim 2 , wherein the fluid election elements are selectively actuated, with the pressure control device, to form the meniscus at the number of nozzles.

5. The micro-structure transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the pressure control device comprises a number of pumps, a number of resistive elements, or combinations thereof to form the meniscus.

6. The micro-structure transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the micro-structure transfer system, based on the wafer map information,

actuates a number of actuators of the printhead to deposit functioning micro-structures on a target substrate; and

actuates the actuators to deposit inoperable micro-structures in a disposal area.

7. The micro-structure transfer system of claim 6 , wherein each of the actuators of the printhead are individually addressable to activate individual resistive elements based on the wafer map information.

8. The micro-structure transfer system of claim 1 , further comprising a carriage to move the printhead in at least two coordinate directions.

9. The micro-structure transfer system of claim 1 , wherein:

the printhead comprises a number of fluid chambers;

the number of nozzles are defined in an orifice plate of the printhead through which fluid may exit the chambers; and

the pressure control device is to control a pressure of fluid within each of the chambers; and

the pressure control device is operable to form a convex meniscus of fluid protruding from and exterior to a number of nozzles defined within the printhead to pick up the number of micro-structures.

10. The micro-structure transfer system of claim 9 , further comprising a number of actuators in each of the chambers to:

assist the pressure control device to form the meniscus; and

create pressure within the chambers to eject fluid from the chambers through the nozzles.

11. The micro-structure transfer system of claim 10 , wherein the actuators are individually selectively controlled to selectively place the micro-structures along a length of a target substrate.

12. The micro-structure transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the pressure control device, based on the wafer map information, is operable to not form a meniscus at a nozzle that corresponds to an inoperable micro-structure on the wafer such that the inoperable micro-structure is left on the wafer when other, operable micro-structures are picked from the wafer by other nozzles having a meniscus.

13. The micro-structure transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the pressure control device is operable to form a convex meniscus of fluid protruding from and exterior to each of the number of nozzles defined within the printhead to pick up the number of micro-structures.

14. A method of transferring micro-structures comprising:

with a pressure control device of a printhead, controlling a pressure of fluid within a number of fluid channels defined in the printhead to form a meniscus of the fluid protruding from a number of nozzles defined in the printhead; and

picking a number of micro-structures from a wafer via the meniscus using adhesive forces between the fluid and the micro-structure.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising actuating a number of actuators of the printhead to deposit the micro-structures on a target substrate.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising, with the printhead, disposing of deficient micro-structures.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the pressure control device utilizes a number of pumps, the actuators, or combinations thereof to form the meniscus.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

testing the micro-structures at the wafer to produce wafer map information defining operability of each of the micro-structures; and

based on wafer map information, actuating a number of actuators of the printhead to deposit the micro-structures in a disposal area.

19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising picking a first number of the micro-structures from the wafer based on a pattern of the micro-structures to be formed on a target substrate and then picking a second number of the micro-structures from the wafer based on the pattern.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the micro-structures are Light Emitting Diodes.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 11, 2019
From: GE, NING; CHANG, YA-LING; HOLDER, HELEN A.
To: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
Reel/Frame 048560/0534 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190229002A1 · Jul 25, 2019