Face-down printing apparatus and method
AssigneeKateeva, Inc.
InventorsRobert Lowrance, Eliyahu Vronsky, Conor Madigan, Alexander Sou-Kang Ko
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Film-forming apparatuses, systems, and methods are provided. The apparatus can include a substrate positioning system and a printing array that includes an inkjet printing array and/or a thermal printing array. The positioning system can be a gas-bearing plate system. The positioning system can be configured to move a substrate between a first position, away from the printing array, and a second position, above the printing array. The apparatuses, systems, and methods can be used to manufacture organic light emitting devices (OLEDs), for example, flat panel displays.
Claims20
A method of forming a film on a surface of a substrate, comprising:
- positioning a substrate in a first position on a substrate support comprising a top surface and at least one opening in the top surface above a gas-bearing plate system;
- moving the substrate to a second position above an upwardly-facing inkjet printing array that is set in the gas-bearing plate system such that the gas bearing system is configured to float the substrate while the printing array transfers a film-forming material onto a downwardly facing surface of the substrate;
- and
- activating the inkjet printing array to direct a first film-forming material from the inkjet printing array upwardly onto the surface of the substrate;
- wherein the gas bearing system comprises a plurality of apertures in the top surface, and a plurality of gas channels extending from the first plurality of apertures into the substrate support and communicating with a manifold, the plurality of apertures surrounding the at least one opening in the to surface of the substrate support.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.