Organic vapor jet printing system
View Patent ↗An organic vapor jet printing system includes a pump for increasing the pressure of an organic flux.
1. An organic vapor jet printing system, comprising:
a heated chamber configured to produce an organic flux, the flux including a carrier gas and a vapor of an organic material;
a source cell configured to introduce the vapor and the carrier gas into the heated chamber;
a nozzle body configured to direct the flux to a substrate;
a transport line disposed between the heated chamber and the nozzle body, the transport line configured to convey the flux from the heated chamber to the nozzle body; and
a pump capable of generating pressure pulses in the flux, said pump located within the heated chamber and connected to the transport line between the source cell and the nozzle body, the pump configured to pump the flux from the chamber to the transport line and to the nozzle body,
wherein said pump is capable of increasing a pressure of the organic flux before the organic flux exits the nozzle body.
2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a stage configured to translate a substrate with respect to the nozzle body.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the stage is configured to cool the substrate to a temperature sufficient to cause deposition of the organic material onto a surface of the substrate to form an organic film on the substrate.
4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a heating element configured to regulate a temperature within the heated chamber.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle body includes an array of nozzles.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pump is configured to cause pressure pulses in the flux.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the organic material is deposited on a discrete region of the substrate when a pressure pulse is applied, and substantially no organic material is deposited when no pressure pulse is applied.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pump includes a piston.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the pump includes a crank configured to actuate the piston.
10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the pump includes a solenoid configured to actuate the piston.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pump includes a piezoelectric material.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pump is a microelectromechanical system.
13. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a thermal bath configured to regulate the temperature of the pump.
14. The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one additional source cell configured to introduce a vapor of at least one additional organic material into the heated chamber.
15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the source cell is positioned non-completely within the heated chamber.