Gas enclosure assembly and system

• US 9,048,344 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kateeva, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Kateeva, Inc.
• Inventors: Mauck, Justin, Ko, Alexander Sou-Kang, Vronsky, Eliyahu, Alderson, Shandon
• Primary Examiner(s): Capozzi, Charles
• Application Number:
  US13/802,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20130206058A1
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16508 connected with the printer frame
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1652 by driving a fluid through the nozzles to the outside thereof, e.g. by applying pressure to the inside or vacuum at the outside of the print head
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16523 Waste ink transport from caps or spittoons, e.g. by suction Collecting or collectors of waste ink B41J2/1721
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16535 using wiping constructions B41J2/16552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/13 Cases or covers
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/17 Cleaning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/377 Cooling or ventilating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/163 Clean air work stations, i.e. selected areas within a space which filtered air is passed
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6719 characterized by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/005 Processes
• 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 71/311 Purifying organic semiconductor materials
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/70 Testing, e.g. accelerated lifetime tests
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/811 Controlling the atmosphere during processing H10K71/40 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49718 Repairing

Abstract

The present teachings relate to various embodiments of an hermetically-sealed gas enclosure assembly and system that can be readily transportable and assemblable and provide for maintaining a minimum inert gas volume and maximal access to various devices and apparatuses enclosed therein. Various embodiments of an hermetically-sealed gas enclosure assembly and system of the present teachings can have a gas enclosure assembly constructed in a fashion that minimizes the internal volume of a gas enclosure assembly, and at the same time optimizes the working space to accommodate a variety of footprints of various OLED printing systems. Various embodiments of a gas enclosure assembly so constructed additionally provide ready access to the interior of a gas enclosure assembly from the exterior during processing and readily access to the interior for maintenance, while minimizing downtime.

Claims

1. A gas enclosure assembly and system comprising:

a gas enclosure assembly having an interior containing an inert gas atmosphere;

wherein the gas enclosure assembly comprises;

a first frame member assembly section defining a first interior volume of the gas enclosure assembly interior, wherein the first frame member assembly section comprises a plurality of first frame member assemblies, each of the plurality of first frame member assemblies having a plurality of a first panel section;

a second frame member assembly section defining a second interior volume of the gas enclosure assembly interior, wherein the second frame member assembly section comprises a plurality of second frame member assemblies, each of the plurality of second frame member assemblies having a plurality of a second panel section; and

at least one opening in a common panel section to the first frame member assembly section and the second frame member assembly section, wherein the at least one opening provides fluid communication between the first interior volume and the second interior volume, and wherein closure of the at least one opening separates the first interior volume from fluid communication with the second interior volume;

a printing system having a printhead assembly comprising at least one printhead, wherein the printing system is housed within the first interior volume; and

a maintenance module housed within the second interior volume, wherein the maintenance module and the printhead assembly are alignable with respect to each other to perform one of a maintenance procedure and a calibration procedure on the printhead assembly.

2. The gas enclosure assembly and system of claim 1;

wherein the second interior volume is less than or equal to about 1% of a volume of the gas enclosure assembly interior.

3. The gas enclosure assembly and system of claim 1;

wherein the second interior volume is less than or equal to about 10% of a volume of the gas enclosure assembly interior.

4. The gas enclosure assembly and system of claim 1;

further comprising a gas purification system configured to be in fluid communication with one of the gas enclosure assembly, the first frame member assembly section, and the second frame member assembly section.

5. The gas enclosure assembly and system of claim 4;

wherein the gas purification system capacity is based on a volume of the gas enclosure assembly.

6. The gas enclosure assembly and system of claim 5;

wherein when the gas purification system is configured to be in fluid communication with the second frame member assembly section, the gas purification system can be used to purify the second interior volume.

7. The gas enclosure assembly and system of claim 1;

wherein the inert gas atmosphere contained in the interior comprises water and oxygen each at levels of 100 ppm or less.

8. The gas enclosure assembly and system of claim 1, wherein the

printing system further comprises:

a motion system for positioning the printing system within the gas enclosure assembly.

9. The gas enclosure assembly and system of claim 1;

wherein the printing system has a substrate support apparatus.

10. The gas enclosure assembly and system of claim 9;

wherein the substrate support apparatus defines the travel over which a substrate can be moved through the printing system.

11. The gas enclosure assembly and system of claim 9;

wherein the substrate support apparatus can support a substrate having a size of between about generation 5 to about generation 10.

12. The gas enclosure assembly and system of claim 9;

wherein the substrate support apparatus can support a substrate having a size of between about generation 3.5 to about generation 8.5.

13. The gas enclosure assembly and system of claim 8;

wherein the inert gas atmosphere contained in the interior comprises water and oxygen each at levels of 100 ppm or less.

14. The gas enclosure assembly and system of claim 1, wherein the inert gas atmosphere contained in the interior comprises water and oxygen each at levels of 10 ppm or less.

15. The gas enclosure assembly and system of claim 8, wherein the motion system is configured to position the printhead assembly with respect to the maintenance module.

16. The gas enclosure assembly and system of claim 9, wherein the substrate support apparatus comprises a floatation table.

17. A gas enclosure assembly and system comprising:

a gas enclosure assembly having an interior containing an inert gas atmosphere, wherein the gas enclosure assembly comprises;

a first enclosure defining a first interior volume of the gas enclosure assembly interior;

a second enclosure defining a second interior volume of the gas enclosure assembly interior, wherein the second interior volume is configured to be placed in selective flow communication with the first interior volume via an opening, wherein closure of the opening separates the first interior volume from the second interior volume; and

a printing system comprising at least one printhead, wherein the printing system is disposed in the first interior volume and is configured to perform a printing process in the first interior volume, wherein the at least one printhead is movable to a location at which the at least one printhead is accessible from the second interior volume; and

a maintenance module disposed within the second interior volume, wherein the maintenance module and the at least one printhead are alignable with respect to each other to perform one of a maintenance procedure and a calibration procedure on the at least one printhead.