EVAPORATION APPARATUS WITH INCLINED CRUCIBLE

• US 20090025885A1
• Filed: 07/17/2008
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: KOENIG, Michael, KELLER, Stefan, BUSCHBECK, Wolfgang, BANGERT, Stefan
• Application Number:
  US12/174,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20090025885A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 159/31
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/12 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/225 Oblique incidence of vaporised material on substrate
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/243 Crucibles for source material C23C14/28, C23C14/30 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/246 Replenishment of source material
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/562 for coating elongated substrates

Abstract

The invention relates to an evaporation apparatus for depositing material on a vertically oriented substrate (10). The apparatus comprises at least one evaporation crucible (100) with the evaporation crucible (100) having an evaporation surface (120) for evaporating the material (300) wherein the evaporation surface is inclined at an inclination angle (α) in relation to the horizontal. The invention further provides a method for evaporating a substrate with the steps of providing a vertically oriented substrate (10); providing a crucible having an evaporation surface (120) for evaporating a material; evaporating the material on the evaporation surface (120) that is inclined at an inclination angle (α) in relation to the horizontal.

Claims

1. Evaporation apparatus for depositing material on a substrate, the substrate being oriented vertically, the evaporation apparatus comprising:

at least one evaporation crucible, the evaporation crucible being a unit adapted for transforming solid material into vapor;

the evaporation crucible having an evaporation surface for evaporating the material;

wherein the evaporation surface is inclined at an inclination angle in relation to the horizontal.

2. Evaporation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inclination angle is between 10°

and 90°

.

3. Evaporation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inclination angle is between 60°

and 90°

.

4. Evaporation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inclination angle is between 80°

and 100°

.

5. Evaporation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises organic material.

6. Evaporation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the evaporation surface of the crucible is substantially planar.

7. Evaporation apparatus according claim 1, wherein the crucible comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of a recess and an elevation on the evaporation side.

8. Evaporation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for transporting the vertically oriented substrate.

9. Evaporation apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the means for transporting are arranged for continuously transporting the substrate.

10. Evaporation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a mask.

11. Evaporation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a coil carrier for feeding a wire of the material to be deposited to the crucible.

12. Evaporation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the crucible further comprises electrodes for being connected to a current source.

13. Evaporation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the crucible is made of one or more materials selected from the group consisting of metallic boride, metallic nitride, titanium nitride, metallic carbide, non-metallic boride, non-metallic nitride, non-metallic carbide, nitrides, borides, graphite, TiB2, BN, B₄C, and SiC.

14. Evaporation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one crucible comprises at least two crucibles positioned above each other.

15. Evaporation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one crucible comprises at least two crucibles positioned next to each other in a horizontal direction.

16. Method for evaporating material on a substrate comprising:

providing a vertically oriented substrate;

providing a crucible having an evaporation surface for evaporating a material, the evaporation crucible being a unit adapted for transforming solid material into vapor; and

evaporating the material on the evaporation surface that is inclined at an inclination angle in relation to the horizontal.

17. Method according to claim 16, further comprising feeding a wire of the material to the crucible.

18. Method according to claim 16, wherein the material is fed at a rate in the range of 50 cm/min and 150 cm/min.

19. Method according to claim 16, wherein evaporating is undertaken continuously in an in-line production.

20. Method according to claim 16, wherein the method is for producing an organic light emitting diode.

21. Method according to claim 16, wherein the crucible is inclined at an angle of between 100 and 90°

.

22. Method according to claim 16, wherein the crucible is inclined at an angle of between 600 and 900.

23. Method according to claim 16, wherein the crucible is inclined at an angle of 80°

and 100°

.

24. Method according to claim 16, wherein the crucible is heated to a temperature of between 1300°

C. and 1600°

C.