Deposition device having a thermal control system

A thermal control unit adapted to provide heating and cooling to an enclosure containing a deposition device, comprising:

• a vortex tube adapted to generate cold and hot gas streams from a pressurized gas supply, said vortex tube having an inlet adapted to be coupled with the pressurized gas supply, a cold gas outlet adapted to be in fluid communication with the enclosure and adapted to deliver the cold gas thereto, and a hot gas outlet adapted to be in fluid communication with the enclosure and adapted to deliver the hot gas thereto, the cold and hot gases from said vortex tube adapted to control the temperature of the deposition device;
• an outlet valve coupled with at least one of said cold and hot gas outlets, said outlet valve operable to vary the flow of gas delivered to the enclosure through said at least one of said cold and hot gas outlets;
• a controller operatively coupled with said outlet valve and adapted to actuate said outlet valve so as to control the flow of gas to the enclosure through said at least one of said cold and hot gas outlets;
• and
• a temperature-sensing device operatively coupled with said controller and adapted to communicate a temperature associated with the deposition device to said controller.

A method of thermally controlling a material deposition process using a vortex tube, the material deposition process using an enclosure defining an interior, and a deposition device positioned within the interior and capable of depositing a material onto a substrate, the method comprising:

• measuring a temperature associated with the deposition device;
• delivering at least one of a cold and hot gas from the vortex tube to the interior based on the measured temperature;
• and
• depositing a material from the deposition device onto the substrate.