Method and apparatus for load-locked printing
First Claim
1. A method for depositing an organic material on a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving the substrate at an inlet chamber;
flooding the inlet chamber with nitrogen, and sealing the inlet chamber;
floating the substrate using a gas bearing;
directing at least a portion of the substrate to a print-head chamber and, while floating the substrate using a combination of pressure and vacuum, discharging a quantity of the organic material from a discharge nozzle onto the portion of the substrate;
directing the substrate to an outlet chamber;
partitioning the print-head chamber from the outlet chamber; and
unloading the substrate from the outlet chamber.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for preventing oxidation or contamination during a circuit printing operation. The circuit printing operation can be directed to OLED-type printing. In an exemplary embodiment, the printing process is conducted at a load-locked printer housing having one or more of chambers. Each chamber is partitioned from the other chambers by physical gates or fluidic curtains. A controller coordinates transportation of a substrate through the system and purges the system by timely opening appropriate gates. The controller may also control the printing operation by energizing the print-head at a time when the substrate is positioned substantially thereunder.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method for depositing an organic material on a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving the substrate at an inlet chamber; flooding the inlet chamber with nitrogen, and sealing the inlet chamber; floating the substrate using a gas bearing; directing at least a portion of the substrate to a print-head chamber and, while floating the substrate using a combination of pressure and vacuum, discharging a quantity of the organic material from a discharge nozzle onto the portion of the substrate; directing the substrate to an outlet chamber; partitioning the print-head chamber from the outlet chamber; and unloading the substrate from the outlet chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method for depositing an organic material on a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving the substrate at an inlet chamber; flooding the inlet chamber with a chamber gas, consisting essentially of nitrogen, and sealing the inlet chamber; floating the substrate using a gas bearing; directing at least a portion of the substrate to a print-head chamber and, while floating the substrate using a combination of pressure and vacuum, discharging a quantity of the organic material from a discharge nozzle onto the portion of the substrate, forming a patterned film thereon; directing the substrate to an outlet chamber; partitioning the print-head chamber from the outlet chamber; and unloading the substrate from the outlet chamber. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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8. A method for depositing an organic material on a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving the substrate at an inlet chamber; flooding the inlet chamber with a chamber gas and sealing the inlet chamber; directing at least a portion of the substrate to a print-head chamber and, while floating and controlling the substrate using the chamber gas and a combination of pressure and vacuum, discharging a quantity of the organic material from a discharge nozzle onto the portion of the substrate, forming a patterned film thereon; directing the substrate to an outlet chamber; partitioning the print-head chamber from the outlet chamber; and unloading the substrate from the outlet chamber. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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Specification