Apparatus and method for making a light-emitting display

• US 20040108061A1
• Filed: 12/06/2002
• Published: 06/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Mehta, Rajesh V., Sunderrajan, Suresh, Jagannathan, Seshadri, Sadasivan, Sridhar, Nelson, David J., Jagannathan, Ramesh, Irvin, Glen C. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US10/313,591
• Publication Number:
  US 20040108061A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/345.11
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/13 using printing techniques, e.g. ink-jet printing or screen printing
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/135 using ink-jet printing
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/114 Poly-phenylenevinylene; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/115 Polyfluorene; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/30 Coordination compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/324 comprising aluminium, e.g. Alq3
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/631 Amine compounds having at least two aryl rest on at least one amine-nitrogen atom, e.g. triphenylamine

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for making a light emitting display is provided. The apparatus includes a discharge device with an inlet and an outlet with the portion of the discharge device defining a delivery path. An actuating mechanism is moveably positioned along the delivery path. A substrate retaining device is positioned spaced apart from the outlet of the discharge device in the delivery path. The inlet of the discharge device is adapted to be connected to a pressurized source of a thermodynamically stable mixture of a compressed fluid and one of a hole transporting material, a light emitting material, and an electron transporting material. The compressed fluid is in a gaseous state at a location beyond the outlet of the discharge device and prior to the substrate retaining device.

Claims

1. A method of making a light emitting display comprising:

providing a substrate;

providing a first addressing electrode on the substrate;

controllably depositing an organic material over the first set of addressing electrodes, and

providing a second addressing electrode over the organic material, wherein the organic material is deposited over the first addressing electrode by controllably delivering a mixture of a compressed fluid solvent and the organic material toward the first addressing electrode, the organic material becoming free of the compressed fluid solvent prior to reaching the first addressing electrode.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mixture is delivered toward the substrate in a collimated beam.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mixture is delivered toward the substrate in a focused beam.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the organic material comprises organic small molecules.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the organic material comprises polymeric materials.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the organic material includes a light emitting material.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the organic material includes a light emitting material and an electron transporting material.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the organic material includes a hole transporting material, the method further comprising:

controllably depositing a light emitting material over the hole transporting material prior to forming the second addressing electrode, wherein the light emitting material is deposited on the hole transporting material by controllably delivering a mixture of a compressed fluid solvent and the light emitting material toward the hole transporting material, the light emitting material becoming free of the compressed fluid solvent prior to reaching the hole transporting material.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

controllably depositing an electron transporting material over the light emitting material prior to forming the second addressing electrode, wherein the electron transporting material is deposited on the light emitting material by controllably delivering a mixture of a compressed fluid solvent and the electron transporting material toward the light emitting material, the electron transporting material becoming free of the compressed fluid solvent prior to reaching the light emitting material.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein providing the first addressing electrode includes providing a plurality of first addressing electrodes and providing the second addressing electrode includes providing a plurality of second addressing electrodes, the plurality of second addressing electrodes overlapping the plurality of first addressing electrodes.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein providing the first addressing electrode includes providing a plurality of first addressing electrodes and providing the second addressing electrode includes providing a single second addressing electrode, the single second addressing electrode being common to the plurality of first addressing electrodes.

12. A method of making a light emitting display comprising:

providing a substrate;

providing a first set of addressing electrodes on the substrate;

depositing a hole transporting layer over the first set of addressing electrodes by controllably delivering the mixture of a compressed fluid solvent and a hole transporting material toward the substrate, the hole transporting material becoming free of the compressed fluid solvent prior to reaching the first set of addressing electrodes;

depositing a light emitting layer over the hole transporting layer by controllably delivering the mixture of a compressed fluid solvent and a light emitting material toward the substrate, the light emitting material becoming free of the compressed fluid solvent prior to reaching the hole transporting layer;

depositing an electron transporting layer over the light emitting layer by controllably delivering the mixture of a compressed fluid solvent and a electron transporting material toward the substrate, the electron transporting material becoming free of the compressed fluid solvent prior to reaching the light emitting layer; and

forming a second set of addressing electrodes on the electron transporting layer.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein depositing light emitting layer over the hole transporting layer includes controllably delivering the mixture of a compressed fluid solvent, the light emitting material, and a dopant material toward the substrate, the mixture of the light emitting material and the dopant material becoming free of the compressed fluid solvent prior to reaching the hole transporting layer and patterning the mixture of the light emitting material and the dopant material such that color subpixels are formed.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein providing the first set of addressing electrodes on the substrate includes forming the first set of addressing electrodes on the substrate by controllably delivering a mixture of a compressed fluid solvent and an electrode forming material toward the substrate, the electrode forming material becoming free of the compressed fluid solvent prior to reaching the substrate.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the electrode forming material comprises an electrically conducting polymeric material.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein at least one of the hole transporting material, the light emitting material, and the electron transporting material comprise organic small molecules.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein at least one of the hole transporting material, the light emitting material, and the electron transporting material comprise polymeric materials.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein forming the second set of addressing electrodes on the electron transporting layer includes controllably delivering the mixture of the compressed fluid solvent and the electrode forming material toward the substrate, the electrode forming material becoming free of the compressed fluid solvent prior to reaching the electron transporting layer.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the electrode forming material comprises an electrically conducting polymeric material.

20. The method according to claim 12, wherein the light emitting material emits a monochrome light when energized, the method further comprising:

providing a color conversion medium oriented with respect to the light emitting material capable of converting the monochrome light from a corresponding light emitting material into one of red, green, and blue light.

21. The method according to claim 12, wherein the light emitting material emits one of a red, green, and blue light when energized.

22. An apparatus for making a light emitting display comprising:

a discharge device having an inlet and an outlet, a portion of the discharge device defining a delivery path;

an actuating mechanism moveably positioned along the delivery path; and

a substrate retaining device positioned spaced apart from the outlet of the discharge device in the delivery path, the inlet of the discharge device being adapted to be connected to a pressurized source of a thermodynamically stable mixture of a compressed fluid and an organic material, the compressed fluid being in a gaseous state at a location beyond the outlet of the discharge device and prior to the substrate retaining device, the organic material being controllably directed toward the substrate retaining device.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the substrate retaining device and the outlet of the discharge device are located in a controlled environment.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the controlled environment comprises a pressure modulator for maintaining pressure in the controlled environment at a predetermined pressure level.

25. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the controlled environment comprises a temperature modulator for maintaining temperature in the controlled environment at a predetermined temperature level.

26. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the controlled environment comprises means for monitoring and adjusting temperature and pressure levels inside the controlled environment.

27. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the substrate retaining device, the discharge device, the actuating mechanism, and the material selection device is located in the controlled environment.

28. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the substrate retaining device includes a substrate.

29. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the substrate is electrically charged to attract the organic material.

30. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the discharge device includes a first variable area section connected to one end of a constant area section, and a second variable area section connected to another end of the constant area section.

31. The apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the actuating mechanism has a first position in contact with the constant area section of the discharge device and a second position removed from the constant area section.

32. The apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising:

a pressurized source of a thermodynamically stable mixture of the compressed fluid and the organic material connected in fluid communication with the inlet of the discharge device.

33. The apparatus according to claim 22, the organic material including a hole transporting material, a light emitting material, and an electron transporting material, the apparatus further comprising:

a material selection device having a plurality of inlets and an outlet, the outlet of the material selection device being connected in fluid communication to the inlet of the discharge device; and

a plurality of pressurized sources of a thermodynamically stable mixture of a compressed fluid and one of the hole transporting material, the light emitting material, and the electron transporting material, each source being connected in fluid communication to one of the plurality of inlets of the material selection device.

34. The apparatus according to claim 33, further comprising:

a pressurized source of a compressed fluid, wherein one of the inlets of the material selection device is connected in fluid communication to the pressurized source of compressed fluid.

35. The apparatus according to claim 33, further comprising:

a cleaning station operatively associated with the discharge device.

36. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the organic material is at least one of a hole transporting material, a light emitting material, and an electron transporting material.