Gas enclosure systems and methods utilizing multi-zone circulation and filtration

• US 9,278,564 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2015
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kateeva, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Kateeva, Inc.
• Inventors: Mauck, Justin, Ko, Alexander Sou-Kang, Vronsky, Eliyahu, Iyengar, Prahallad, Pun, Digby
• Primary Examiner(s): Huffman, Julian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Polk, Sharon A
• Application Number:
  US14/801,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20160016423A1
• Time in Patent Office: 236 Days
• Field of Search: 347/108, 118/50, 427/162
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/0039 with flow guiding by feed or discharge devices
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/01 Ink jet
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/02 Framework
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/06 Special supports, platforms or trolleys for supporting machines on tables
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/377 Cooling or ventilating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/00 Manufacture or treatment specially adapted for the organic devices covered by this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/13 using printing techniques, e.g. ink-jet printing or screen printing
• 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

Abstract

The present teachings relate to various embodiments of a gas enclosure system that can have a particle control system that can include a multi-zone gas circulation and filtration system, a low-particle-generating X-axis linear bearing system for moving a printhead assembly relative to a substrate, a service bundle housing exhaust system, and a printhead assembly exhaust system. Various components of a particle control system can include a tunnel circulation and filtration system that can be in flow communication with bridge circulation and filtration system. Various embodiments of a tunnel circulation and filtration system can provide cross-flow circulation and filtration of gas about a floatation table of a printing system. Various embodiments of a gas enclosure system can have a bridge circulation and filtration system that can provide circulation and filtration of gas about a printing system bridge and related apparatuses and devices. Accordingly, various embodiments of a gas circulation and filtration system as disclosed herein can effectively remove both airborne particulate matter, as well as particulate matter generated proximal to a substrate during a printing process. As such, various embodiments of a gas circulation and filtration system in conjunction with various embodiments of a gas purification system of the present teachings can provide for a controlled manufacturing environment resulting in a high-yield of OLED various devices.

Claims

1. An industrial printing tool comprising:

a printing system comprising;

a substrate support apparatus for supporting a substrate,

a carriage assembly mounted to a bridge, where the carriage assembly is configured to position a printhead assembly relative to the substrate;

a gas enclosure defining an interior containing a gas, wherein the gas enclosure comprises a first tunnel enclosure section, a bridge enclosure section and a second tunnel enclosure section; and

a gas circulation and filtration system for circulating the gas within the gas enclosure, the gas circulation and filtration system comprising;

a tunnel circulation and filtration system configured to filter and circulate the gas around the substrate support apparatus in a circulation path across the direction of substrate travel; and

a bridge circulation and filtration system configured to filter and circulate gas around the carriage assembly.

2. The industrial printing tool of claim 1, wherein the tunnel circulation and filtration system further comprises a baffle assembly comprising an inlet baffle assembly;

and an outlet baffle assembly.

3. The industrial printing tool of claim 1, wherein the bridge circulation and filtration system comprises:

a bridge enclosure section exhaust duct that is in flow communication with a bridge circulation and filtration intake duct; and

a bridge circulation and filtration return duct that is in flow communication with the bridge circulation and filtration intake duct; and

at least one bridge circulation and filtration system return duct.

4. The industrial printing tool of claim 3, wherein the bridge circulation and filtration system further comprises a tunnel baffle plate, wherein the tunnel baffle plate is configured to provide flow communication between a tunnel circulation and filtration zone and a bridge circulation and filtration zone.

5. The industrial printing tool of claim 3, wherein the at least one bridge circulation and filtration system return duct is in flow communication with at least one tunnel enclosure section.

6. The industrial printing tool of claim 3, wherein the bridge circulation and filtration system further comprises a bridge enclosure section baffle plate, a bridge enclosure section output plenum and a bridge enclosure section output plenum diffuser.

7. The industrial printing tool of claim 6, wherein the at least one bridge circulation and filtration system return duct comprises a first bridge circulation and filtration system return duct and a second bridge circulation and filtration system return duct.

8. The industrial printing tool of claim 7, wherein the first bridge circulation and filtration system return duct and the second bridge circulation and filtration system return duct are in flow communication with the bridge enclosure section output plenum.

9. The industrial printing tool of claim 1, wherein the gas circulation and filtration system is configured to provide a low-particle environment comprising an on-substrate deposition rate specification of less than or equal to about 100 particles per square meter of substrate per minute for particles greater than or equal to 2 micron in size.

10. The industrial printing system of claim 1, wherein the first tunnel section has the tunnel circulation and filtration system configured to filter and circulate gas within the first tunnel section and the second tunnel section.

11. The industrial printing system of claim 1, wherein the first tunnel section has a first tunnel circulation and filtration system configured to filter and circulate gas within the first tunnel section and the second tunnel section has a second tunnel circulation and filtration system configured to filter and circulate gas within the second tunnel section.

12. The industrial printing system of claim 1, wherein the gas enclosure is contoured around the printing system.

13. The industrial printing system of claim 12, wherein the gas enclosure is contoured around the printing system is between about 30% to about 70% savings in volume in comparison to a non-contoured enclosure having non-contoured dimensions for width, length and height.

14. The industrial printing tool of claim 1, wherein the gas enclosure is in flow communication with a gas purification system.

15. The industrial printing tool of claim 14, wherein the gas enclosure comprises a printing system enclosure contoured around the printing system and an auxiliary enclosure configured to be in selective flow communication with the printing system enclosure.

16. The industrial printing tool of claim 15, wherein the printing system enclosure is in flow communication with the gas purification system via a gas purification inlet line and the auxiliary enclosure is in flow communication with the gas purification system via a gas purification outlet line.

17. The industrial printing tool of claim 15, wherein the auxiliary enclosure is configured to house at least one device used for performing one of a maintenance and a calibration procedure on the printhead assembly.

18. The industrial printing tool of claim 14, wherein the gas purification system controls the gas within the enclosure at less than 100 ppm of each of a reactive species.

19. The industrial printing tool of claim 18, wherein the reactive species are selected from water vapor, oxygen and ozone.

20. The industrial printing tool of claim 1, wherein the gas in the interior of the gas enclosure is an inert gas environment.

21. The industrial printing tool of claim 20, wherein the inert gas is selected from nitrogen, any of the noble gases and combinations thereof.

22. The industrial printing tool of claim 1, wherein the substrate support apparatus is a floatation table.

23. The industrial printing tool of claim 22, wherein the floatation table has a printing region proximal to the carriage assembly, wherein the printing region of the floatation table is configured to provide a controlled fly height for the substrate.

24. The industrial printing tool of claim 22, wherein the substrate support apparatus is configured to support a substrate of a size ranging from about generation 3.5 to about generation 10.