METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOAD-LOCKED PRINTING
First Claim
1. A system for depositing an organic material on a substrate, comprising:
- a housing comprising a plurality of chambers, including at least a print-head chamber and a second chamber;
means for reversibly sealing said print-head chamber and said second chamber;
a print head disposed within the print-head chamber;
a gas bearing disposed within the print-head chamber, said gas bearing comprising a plurality of vacuum and pressure ports;
at least one transport mechanism for moving the substrate into and from the print-head chamber; and
,a controller in communication with the print-head chamber, the means for reversibly sealing, the gas bearing, and the transport mechanism;
the controller including a processor circuit in communication with a memory circuit, the memory circuit instructing the processor circuit to;
(a) operate the means for reversibly sealing and the at least one transport mechanism, such that the substrate can be transported into the print-head chamber;
(b) operate the gas bearing, such that the substrate can be floated above the gas-bearing surface;
(c) energize the print-head, such that the organic material can be printed onto the substrate; and
,(d) operate the means for reversibly sealing and the at least one transport mechanism, such that the substrate can be transported from the print-head chamber.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
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
28 Claims
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1. A system for depositing an organic material on a substrate, comprising:
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a housing comprising a plurality of chambers, including at least a print-head chamber and a second chamber; means for reversibly sealing said print-head chamber and said second chamber; a print head disposed within the print-head chamber; a gas bearing disposed within the print-head chamber, said gas bearing comprising a plurality of vacuum and pressure ports; at least one transport mechanism for moving the substrate into and from the print-head chamber; and
,a controller in communication with the print-head chamber, the means for reversibly sealing, the gas bearing, and the transport mechanism;
the controller including a processor circuit in communication with a memory circuit, the memory circuit instructing the processor circuit to;(a) operate the means for reversibly sealing and the at least one transport mechanism, such that the substrate can be transported into the print-head chamber; (b) operate the gas bearing, such that the substrate can be floated above the gas-bearing surface; (c) energize the print-head, such that the organic material can be printed onto the substrate; and
,(d) operate the means for reversibly sealing and the at least one transport mechanism, such that the substrate can be transported from the print-head chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for depositing an organic material on a substrate, comprising:
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providing a system for depositing an organic material on a substrate, comprising at least one controller; and
,utilizing said at least one controller to; (a) transport a substrate to a printing region of said system; (b) seal the printing region; (c) establish an inert-gas environment about the substrate; (d) float the substrate in the printing region; (e) print the organic material onto the substrate while floating; and
,(f) transport the substrate from the printing region. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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26. A method for depositing an organic material on a substrate, comprising:
controlling a system for depositing an organic material on a substrate so that said system; (a) transports a substrate to a printing region of said system; (b) seals the printing region; (c) establishes an inert-gas environment in the printing region; (d) floats the substrate in the printing region; (e) prints the organic material onto the substrate while floating; and
,(f) transports the substrate from the printing region. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
Specification