METHODS FOR FABRICATING OLEDs

• US 20160164043A1
• Filed: 12/03/2014
• Published: 06/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Display Corporation
• Original Assignee: Universal Display Corporation
• Inventors: Ma, Ruiqing, Felts, John, Silvernail, Jeffrey, ZHOI, Zhaoqun, Krall, Emory, Brown, Julia J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,843,024 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/844 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/00 Manufacture or treatment specially adapted for the organic devices covered by this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/135 using ink-jet printing
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/40 Thermal treatment, e.g. annealing in the presence of a solvent vapour
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/80 using temporary substrates

Abstract

Systems and methods for fabricating an OLED are provided, which include dispensing a substrate material onto a substrate carrier, the substrate carrier being rotated by one or more drums, curing the substrate material to form a substrate, depositing at least one OLED onto the substrate, and separating the substrate from the substrate carrier.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), comprising:

dispensing a substrate material onto a substrate carrier, the substrate carrier moved by one or more drums;

curing the substrate material to form a substrate;

depositing at least one OLED onto the substrate; and

separating the substrate from the substrate carrier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate material is continuously dispensed onto the substrate carrier.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising;

depositing a substrate barrier onto the substrate prior to depositing the OLED onto the substrate.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising depositing a cover film onto the OLED.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate carrier includes surface features which mold a surface of the substrate to form surface features on the substrate.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the molded surface features comprise a plurality of features selected from the group consisting of:

microlenses, micro-prisms, grooves, aerogel or other shapes of protrusions.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein depositing the OLED comprises:

depositing a first electrode layer onto the substrate barrier;

depositing one or more OLED layers onto the first electrode layer; and

depositing a second electrode layer onto the one or more OLED layers.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising depositing a thin film encapsulation layer over the second electrode layer.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

separating the substrate and the OLED from the substrate carrier.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising, after separating the substrate from the substrate carrier, depositing one or more layers of material on a surface of the substrate opposite the surface of the substrate upon which the OLED was deposited.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the substrate remains in contact with the substrate carrier until the substrate is separated from the substrate carrier, and wherein the substrate carrier is in thermal contact with at least one of the drums.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate carrier surface is continuous.

3-8. -8. (canceled)

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13. (canceled)

15-16. -16. (canceled)

20-23. -23. (canceled)

27-33. -33. (canceled)

35. A system for fabricating an OLED, comprising:

a substrate carrier;

a dispensing device to dispense a substrate material onto the substrate carrier;

a curing device to cure the substrate material to form a substrate;

a depositing device to deposit an OLED onto the substrate; and

one or more rotatable drums in physical communication with the substrate carrier and configured to move the substrate carrier past each of the dispensing device, the curing device, and the depositing device.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the dispensing device continuously dispenses the substrate material onto the substrate carrier.

39. The system of claim 35, further comprising a lamination device to apply a cover film onto the OLED.

40. The system of claim 35, further comprising a winding drum to wind the substrate with the deposited OLED from the substrate carrier.

41. The system of claim 35, wherein the one or more rotatable drums consists of a single rotatable drum having a first surface to function as the substrate carrier.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the dispensing device, the curing device and the depositing device are arranged around the single rotatable drum.

45. The system of claim 35, wherein the substrate carrier includes surface features which molds a surface of the substrate to form surface features on the substrate.

47. The system of claim 35, further comprising a secondary dispensing device to, after the substrate is separated from the substrate carrier, deposit one or more material layers on a surface of the substrate opposite the surface upon which the OLED was deposited.

37-38. -38. (canceled)

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46. (canceled)

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