Direct-deposition system including standoffs for controlling substrate-mask separation
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A direct-deposition system for forming a patterned layer of a first material on a substrate by depositing the first material onto the substrate through a shadow mask, wherein the system comprises:
- a first chuck for holding the substrate;
a second chuck for holding the shadow mask;
a first plurality of standoffs, each standoff of the first plurality thereof having a first height that establishes a first separation between the shadow mask and the substrate when the shadow mask and substrate are in contact; and
the shadow mask, wherein the shadow mask includes a first plurality of apertures that is arranged in an aperture pattern that includes;
(i) an array of fields, each field being standoff-free and including a two-dimensional array of apertures of the first plurality thereof; and
(ii) a plurality of lanes, each lane being aperture free;
wherein the plurality of lanes is arranged in a two-dimensional arrangement such that (1) each pair of adjacent fields of the plurality thereof is separated by a different lane of the plurality thereof and (2) each lane resides between two fields of the array thereof;
wherein the plurality of first standoffs is arranged in a two-dimensional arrangement such that at least one standoff of the first plurality thereof is affixed to the shadow mask within each lane of the plurality thereof; and
wherein each standoff of the first plurality thereof is located only on the shadow mask and is capable of being removed from contact with the substrate.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present disclosure enables high-resolution direct patterning of a material on a substrate by establishing and maintaining a separation between a shadow mask and a substrate based on the thickness of a plurality of standoffs. The standoffs function as a physical reference that, when in contact between the substrate and shadow mask determine the separation between them. Embodiments are described in which the standoffs are affixed to an element selected from the shadow mask, the substrate, the mask chuck, and the substrate chuck.
5 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A direct-deposition system for forming a patterned layer of a first material on a substrate by depositing the first material onto the substrate through a shadow mask, wherein the system comprises:
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a first chuck for holding the substrate; a second chuck for holding the shadow mask; a first plurality of standoffs, each standoff of the first plurality thereof having a first height that establishes a first separation between the shadow mask and the substrate when the shadow mask and substrate are in contact; and the shadow mask, wherein the shadow mask includes a first plurality of apertures that is arranged in an aperture pattern that includes; (i) an array of fields, each field being standoff-free and including a two-dimensional array of apertures of the first plurality thereof; and (ii) a plurality of lanes, each lane being aperture free; wherein the plurality of lanes is arranged in a two-dimensional arrangement such that (1) each pair of adjacent fields of the plurality thereof is separated by a different lane of the plurality thereof and (2) each lane resides between two fields of the array thereof; wherein the plurality of first standoffs is arranged in a two-dimensional arrangement such that at least one standoff of the first plurality thereof is affixed to the shadow mask within each lane of the plurality thereof; and wherein each standoff of the first plurality thereof is located only on the shadow mask and is capable of being removed from contact with the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A direct-deposition system for forming a patterned layer of a first material on a substrate by depositing the first material onto the substrate through a shadow mask, wherein the system comprises:
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a first chuck for holding the substrate; a second chuck for holding the shadow mask; the shadow mask, wherein the shadow mask includes (1) a first plurality of standoffs, each standoff of the plurality thereof having a first height that establishes a first separation between the shadow mask and the substrate when the shadow mask and substrate are in contact and (2) a first plurality of apertures that is arranged in an aperture pattern that includes; (i) an array of fields, each field being standoff-free and including a two-dimensional array of apertures of the first plurality thereof; and (ii) a plurality of lanes, each lane being aperture free; wherein the plurality of lanes is arranged in a two-dimensional arrangement such that (1) each pair of adjacent fields of the plurality thereof is separated by a different lane of the plurality thereof and (2) each lane resides between two fields of the array thereof; and wherein the plurality of standoffs is arranged in a two-dimensional arrangement such that at least one standoff of the first plurality thereof is affixed to the shadow mask within each lane of the plurality thereof; and an alignment system configured to establish a second separation between the shadow mask and substrate, the second separation being based on the first separation; wherein each standoff of the first plurality thereof is located only on the shadow mask and is movable relative to the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification