DELIVERY DEVICE FOR DEPOSITION
A delivery device for thin-film material deposition has at least first, second, and third inlet ports for receiving a common supply for a first, a second and a third gaseous material, respectively. Each of the first, second, and third elongated emissive channels allow gaseous fluid communication with one of corresponding first, second, and third inlet ports. The delivery device can be formed from apertured plates, superposed to define a network of interconnecting supply chambers and directing channels for routing each of the gaseous materials from its corresponding inlet port to a corresponding plurality of elongated emissive channels. The delivery device comprises a diffusing channel formed by a relief pattern between facing plates. Also disclosed is a process for thin film deposition. Finally, more generally, a flow diffuser and a corresponding method of diffusing flow is disclosed.
1 . A process of assembling a delivery head for thin-film material deposition onto a substrate comprising:
(a) fabricating a series of plates at least a portion thereof containing relief patterns for forming a diffuser element; and
(b) attaching the plates to each other in sequence so as to form a network of supply lines connected to one or more diffuser elements.
2 . The process of claim 1 in which a spacer plate containing no relief pattern is placed between at least one pair of plates each containing a relief pattern.
3 . The process of claim 1 wherein the order of assembly produces a plurality of flow paths in which each of a plurality of elongated output openings of a first gaseous material in an output face is separated from at least one of the plurality of elongated output openings of a second gaseous material in the output face by at least one of the plurality of elongated output openings of a third gaseous material in the output face.
4 . The process of claim 1 wherein the order of assembly produces a plurality of flow paths in which each of a plurality of elongated output openings of a first gaseous material in an output face is separated from at least one of the plurality of elongated output openings of a second gaseous material in the output face by at least one elongated exhaust opening in the output face which elongated exhaust opening is connected to an exhaust port in order to pull gaseous material from a region of the output face during deposition.
5 . A flow diffuser comprising:
a) a first plate having a relief pattern portion; and
b) a second plate;
wherein the first plate and the second plate are assembled to form an elongated output opening with a flow diffusing portion defined by the relief pattern portion, wherein the flow diffusing portion is capable of diffusing the flow of a gaseous or a liquid material.
6 . A method of diffusing the flow of a gaseous or a liquid material comprising passing the gaseous or a liquid material through a flow diffusing portion defined by a relief pattern portion formed by assembling a first plate having the relief pattern portion and a second plate, wherein the relief pattern portion is between facing plates and connects an elongated inlet opening and an elongated output opening for a flow of the gaseous or the liquid material.