Rapid Ink-Charging Of A Dry Ink Discharge Nozzle

• US 20100171780A1
• Filed: 01/05/2010
• Published: 07/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kateeva, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Kateeva, Inc.
• Inventors: Madigan, Conor F., Vronsky, Eliyahu
• Granted Patent: US 8,235,487 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/12
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14 Structure thereof only for on-demand ink jet heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/175 Ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/135 using ink-jet printing

Abstract

The present teachings relate to methods and apparatus for depositing one or more materials (e.g., one or more films, such as one or more solids) on one or more substrates, which may form part of an OLED or other type(s) of display. In some embodiments, the disclosure relates to apparatus and methods for depositing ink on one or more substrates. The apparatus can include, for example, one or more chambers for receiving ink, and plural orifices configured in the one or more chambers which are adapted for ejecting droplets of the ink; a discharge nozzle comprising an array of micro-pores (e.g., configured in a rectangular array), with each micro-pore having an inlet port and an outlet port, and the discharge nozzle receiving plural quantities (e.g., droplets) of ink from the chamber(s) via the orifices at the inlet ports and dispensing the ink from the outlet ports. The droplets of ink can be received at unique, spaced-apart locations on the inlet ports of the discharge nozzle. In some embodiments, a single liquid ink-holding chamber, which includes plural orifices (e.g., three), receives ink in liquid form having a plurality of suspended particles, and droplets of the ink are ejected substantially simultaneously from the chamber to respective, spaced-apart locations on the discharge nozzle; and the discharge nozzle evaporates the carrier liquid and deposits the solid particles on one or more substrates.

Claims

1. An apparatus for a depositing one or more materials on one or more substrates, the apparatus comprising:

a chamber for receiving ink;

a discharge nozzle disposed in spaced relation to said chamber and including a plurality of micro-pores, with each micro-pore including a first end region defining an inlet port, confronting said chamber, and a second end region defining an outlet port; and

a plurality of orifices in fluid communication with said chamber, said orifices adapted to meter droplets of ink from the chamber along separate respective delivery paths to respective spaced-apart locations on the inlet ports of the discharge nozzle;

wherein the chamber receives ink in liquid form, said ink being defined by a plurality of substantially solid particles dissolved or suspended in a carrier liquid, and the droplets of ink are pulsatingly metered from the chamber through the orifices to the discharge nozzle; and

the discharge nozzle evaporates the carrier liquid and deposits the substantially solid particles on the substrate.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an activator proximate each orifice for providing pulsating energy for ejecting respective droplets of the ink through each orifice from within the chamber.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said activators are adapted to provide said pulsating energy substantially simultaneously, whereby said respective droplets of ink are ejected at substantially the same time.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality of orifices comprises first, second, and third orifices.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein (i) said inlet ports of said plurality of micro-pores defines a substantially rectangular array including a long axis and a short axis, and (ii) said first, second, and third orifices define a line, with said line disposed substantially parallel to said long axis;

and further wherein the diameter of at least one of the metered droplets is smaller than at least one of said axes.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein (i) said inlet ports of said plurality of micro-pores defines a substantially planar array having a non-rectangular shape, and (ii) respective line segments defined by (a) said first and second orifices, and (b) said second and third orifices, together, define a shape substantially similar to said non-rectangular shape;

and further wherein said non-rectangular shape has at least one dimension along its plane that is larger than the diameter of at least one of the metered droplets.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein (i) said substantially planar array has a chevron shape, and (ii) respective line segments defined by (a) said first and second orifices, and (b) said second and said third orifices, together, define a chevron shape.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of said orifices is configured to eject droplets of a first size and at least one other of said orifices is configured to eject droplets of a second size;

with said first size being larger than said second size.

9. A method for depositing one or more materials on one or more substrates, the method comprising:

(a) providing liquid ink to a chamber, the liquid ink defined by a plurality of particles dissolved or suspended in a carrier liquid;

(b) pulsatingly energizing at least two spaced-apart orifices, each disposed in fluid communication with said chamber, to substantially simultaneously meter from each orifice a droplet of liquid ink from the chamber,

(c) substantially simultaneously passing the metered droplets of ink along separate, respective delivery paths to respective spaced-apart locations on a discharge nozzle;

(d) receiving the metered droplets of ink at the discharge nozzle, the discharge nozzle including a plurality of micro-pores for directing the metered droplets of ink;

(e) heating the ink at the plurality of micro-pores to evaporate the carrier liquid, thereby rendering said plurality of particles substantially free of carrier liquid; and

(f) discharging the plurality of particles from the micro-pores onto the substrate;

whereby the plurality of particles are deposited on the substrate in substantially solid form.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one of said orifices ejects droplets of a first size and another of said orifices ejects droplets of a second size;

with said first size being larger than said second size.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein step (b) comprises pulsatingly energizing first, second, and third spaced-apart orifices, each disposed in fluid communication with said chamber, to substantially simultaneously meter triplets of droplets;

and further wherein multiple triplets of droplets are metered in series.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of receiving the metered droplets at the discharge nozzle further comprises receiving the metered droplets at a plurality of inlets to the micro-pores, and transporting the metered droplets through the inlets into respective micro-pores.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein a defined number of said plurality of inlets are regularly spaced forming a substantially planar array, with the array having at least one dimension along its plane that is larger than the diameter of one of the metered droplets;

and wherein said metered droplets are deposited at respective, spaced-apart locations along said array such that said step of transporting the metered droplets through the inlets results in at least fifty percent of the micro-pores corresponding to said defined number of inlets receiving micro-volumes of liquid ink.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein in at least eighty percent of the micro-pores corresponding to said defined number of inlets receive micro-volumes of liquid ink.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein step (b) comprises pulsatingly energizing first, second, and third spaced-apart orifices, each disposed in fluid communication with said chamber, to substantially simultaneously meter from each orifice a droplet of liquid ink from the chamber, and step (c) comprises substantially simultaneously passing the three droplets along separate, respective delivery paths to respective spaced-apart locations on a discharge nozzle.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein (i) said plurality of micro-pores defines a rectangular array including a long axis and a short axis, and (ii) said first, second, and third orifices define a line, with said line disposed substantially parallel to said long axis;

and further wherein the diameter of at least one of the metered droplets is smaller than at least one of said axes.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein (i) said plurality of micro-pores defines an array having a non-rectangular shape, and (ii) respective line segments defined by (a) said first and second orifices, and (b) said second and said third orifices, together, define a shape substantially similar to said non-rectangular shape;

and further wherein the array has a surface area that is larger across at least one dimension, generally orthogonal to said delivery paths, than the diameter of one of the metered droplets.

18. A method for depositing one or more materials on one or more substrates, the method comprising:

retaining a volume of liquid ink in a holding region, said liquid ink comprising a plurality of particles dissolved or suspended in a carrier liquid;

delivering energy to said holding region, thereby substantially simultaneously ejecting a plurality of droplets of liquid ink from at least two spaced-apart locations along said holding region such that each droplet is passed along a respective delivery path to a unique location along a plane adjacent said holding region;

subdividing each of the ejected droplets into a plurality of micro-volumes of liquid ink, each micro-volume disposed in a respective micro-holding region immediately adjacent said plane;

heating the micro-holding regions to a first temperature such that the carrier liquid evaporates, thereby providing solid particles in the micro-holding regions that are substantially free of carrier liquid;

further heating the micro-holding regions to a second temperature such that the solid particles therein are vaporized into a gas; and

directing the gas out of the micro-holding regions and onto a substrate adjacent thereto, upon which it solidifies.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein, upon delivering energy to said holding region, three droplets of liquid ink are substantially simultaneously ejected therefrom and then substantially simultaneously passed along respective delivery paths to three unique locations along said plane.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein a defined number of regularly-spaced micro-holding regions define an array, wherein said three droplets are deposited at respective, spaced-apart locations along said array such that said step of subdividing results in at least eighty percent of said defined number of micro-holding regions of the array receiving micro-volumes of liquid ink;

and further wherein the array defines a substantially planar surface area that is larger across at least one dimension, generally orthogonal to said delivery paths, than the diameter of one of the ejected droplets.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said substantially planar surface area is smaller across at least a second dimension, generally orthogonal to said delivery paths, than the diameter of one of the ejected droplets.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein droplets ejected from one of said at least two spaced-apart locations are a first size, and droplets ejected from another of said at least two spaced-apart locations are a second size;

with said first size being larger than said second size.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein at least one of said at least two spaced-apart locations is a first orifice in fluid communication with a first chamber and at least one other of said at least two spaced-apart locations is a second orifice in fluid communication with a second chamber.