Low pressure vapor phase deposition of organic thin films

• US 20070131172A1
• Filed: 01/19/2007
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1997
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Paul Burrows, Stephen Forrest, Vladimir Ban
• Original Assignee: Paul Burrows, Stephen Forrest, Vladimir Ban
• Inventors: Forrest, Stephen, Burrows, Paul, Ban, Vladimir
• Application Number:
  US11/655,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20070131172A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 118/726
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/12 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/50 Substrate holders
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/54 Controlling or regulating the coating process
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/568 Transferring the substrates through a series of coating stations C23C14/562 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/30 Deposition of compounds, mixtures or solid solutions, e.g. borides, carbides, nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45561 Gas plumbing upstream of the reaction chamber
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/00 Manufacture or treatment specially adapted for the organic devices covered by this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/10 Deposition of organic active material
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/164 using vacuum deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/40 Thermal treatment, e.g. annealing in the presence of a solvent vapour
• 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

Methods for preparing organic thin films on substrates, the method comprising the steps of providing a plurality of organic precursors in the vapor phase, and reacting the plurality or organic precursors at a sub-atmospheric pressure. Also included are thin films made by such a method and apparatuses used to conduct such a method. The method is well-suited to the formation of organic light emitting devices and other display-related technologies.

Claims

1. An apparatus for the physical vapor deposition of an organic small molecule material on a substrate, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a deposition chamber;

(b) at least one flow path in fluid communication with said deposition chamber, said flow path comprising;

(i) a carrier gas source,

(ii) an organic small molecule material source containing a non-polymeric organic small molecule material that forms a non-polymeric organic thin film of the organic small molecule material, and

(iii) a flow controller;

(c) a substrate holder disposed within said deposition chamber; and

(d) a vacuum pump in fluid communication with said deposition chamber and adapted to provide a pressure ranging from 0.001 torr to 100 torr within said deposition chamber;

wherein the deposition chamber has walls that may be heated to a temperature sufficiently high to avoid re-condensation of volatilized organic small molecule material, without decomposing the volatilized organic small molecule material, and

wherein the non-polymeric organic thin film remains non-polymeric after deposition.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a roll-to-roll substrate delivery system.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-polymeric organic small molecule material forms a uniform non-polymeric organic thin film.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the organic small molecule material comprises Alq₃.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said flow controller includes a pressure regulator.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said flow controller includes a flow meter.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said flow controller includes a switching valve.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said deposition chamber has heated walls.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said deposition chamber is provided with one or more radiant heat sources.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a heater substantially surrounding said deposition chamber.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said heater is a multi-zone heater/cooler temperature controller that heats and cools.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate holder is cooled.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the substrate holder comprises a temperature-control block.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said organic small molecule material source is an open container holding said organic small molecule material.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said open container is heated.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus comprises two or more flow paths.

17. An apparatus for physical vapor deposition of a film comprising an organic small molecule material on a substrate, said apparatus comprising:

a deposition chamber;

means for heating said deposition chamber;

means for introducing vapors of non-polymeric organic small molecule materials including a source containing the organic small molecule materials, wherein the organic small molecule materials form a non-polymeric organic thin film that remains non-polymeric after deposition, into said deposition chamber;

means for cooling a substrate within said deposition chamber; and

means for maintaining the pressure in said reaction chamber at a pressure ranging from 0.001 torr to 100 torr;

means for heating the deposition chamber walls to a temperature sufficiently high to avoid re-condensation of vapors of the organic small molecule materials, without decomposing the organic small molecule materials.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising means for moving the substrate through the deposition chamber.