Method and apparatus for load-locked printing
AssigneeKateeva, Inc.
InventorsSass Somekh, Eliyahu Vronsky
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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.
Claims12
A method for printing an organic material on a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a housing comprising:
- a substrate-receiving region and a substrate-processing region;
- and
- a print-head chamber enclosing at least one print-head having at least one nozzle;
- receiving the substrate at the substrate-receiving region;
- transporting the substrate to the substrate-processing region;
- sealing the substrate-processing region;
- providing the substrate-processing region with an inert-gas environment;
- floating the substrate in the substrate-processing region, wherein the substrate is floated using a gas bearing comprising a plurality of gas ports and vacuum ports;
- while floating the substrate, printing a quantity of the organic material with the at least one print-head having at least one nozzle onto a portion of the substrate;
- and,
- transporting the substrate out of the substrate-processing region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.