Patent Application
20220025509
The technical field relates to an apparatus for evaporating a deposition source in a deposition operation and a method of manufacturing the apparatus.
In a process of manufacturing a thin film, such as a thin film of an organic light-emitting display device, a deposition operation may be performed. In the deposition operation, a deposition source is evaporated for enabling material to adhere to a substrate surface. A mask may be placed on the substrate, and vapor of the material may pass through one or more openings of the mask to form a thin film of a desired pattern on the substrate.
According to embodiments, a temperature may be in a range 1100 degrees Celsius to 1300 degrees Celsius during evaporation of a deposition source, and an evaporation apparatus may reliably and continuously perform evaporation at the high temperature for producing a satisfactory amount of thin films. Advantageously, quality of deposition may be optimized, and production efficiency for thin films may be optimized.
Embodiments may be related to a deposition source evaporating apparatus and a method of manufacturing the deposition source evaporating apparatus. The apparatus may be capable of performing a deposition operation at a high temperature for a long time.
According to one or more embodiments, the deposition source evaporating apparatus includes a crucible unit accommodating a deposition source and having a spray unit on one side, a heater heating the crucible unit to evaporate the deposition source through the spray unit, and a heat radiation preventing plate suppressing a heat radiation through a side of the spray unit, wherein a material of any one of the crucible unit and the heat radiation preventing plate includes a carbon fiber composite.
The carbon fiber composite may include a material obtained by compressing and hardening a result of mixing a carbon fiber granule with a first carbon-based resin.
The carbon fiber granule may include any one of a chopped fragment or ground powder of carbon fiber.
An internal gap of the carbon fiber composite may be filled with a second carbon-based resin by being impregnated with the second carbon-based resin and then being hardened.
The heat radiation preventing plate may be a single body.
The crucible unit may include an inner crucible accommodating the deposition source, an outer crucible accommodating the inner crucible and heated by the heater, a housing accommodating the outer crucible and the heater, and a cooling jacket accommodating the housing and having a coolant circulation unit, and a material of the inner crucible, the outer crucible, and the housing includes the carbon fiber composite.
The inner crucible may be a single body having a single accommodating space.
An internal wall of the housing may be installed with a heat radiation plate including the carbon fiber composite.
The housing, the heat radiation plate, and the outer crucible may be an integral body.
The deposition source evaporating apparatus may include a pair of the crucible units in which the spray units are symmetrically arranged, and pair of heaters and a pair of heat radiation preventing plates respectively installed in the crucible units.
In addition, the embodiments of the present disclosure discloses a method of manufacturing a deposition source evaporating apparatus, the method including preparing a crucible unit accommodating a deposition source and having a spray unit on one side, installing a heater in the crucible unit, and installing a heat radiation preventing plate suppressing heat radiation through a side of the spray unit of the crucible unit, wherein any one of the crucible unit and the heat radiation preventing plate includes a carbon fiber composite.
The carbon fiber composite may be formed by mixing a carbon fiber granule with a first carbon-based resin and compressing hardening a result of the mixing.
The carbon fiber granule may be formed by any one of an operation of chopping a carbon fiber into fragments and an operation of grinding a carbon fiber into powder.
The method further includes an operation of vacuum-treating the carbon fiber composite to remove foreign substances from the internal gaps, and an operation of impregnating and filling a second carbon-based resin into the gaps from which the foreign substances are removed and hardening the second carbon-based resin.
The heat radiation preventing plate may be formed as a single body.
The inner crucible may include an inner crucible accommodating the deposition source, an outer crucible accommodating the inner crucible and heated by the heater, a housing accommodating the outer crucible and the heater, and a cooling jacket accommodating the housing and having a coolant circulation unit, and the inner crucible, the outer crucible, and the housing may include a carbon fiber composite.
The inner crucible may be formed as a single body having a single accommodating space.
A heat radiation plate formed of the carbon fiber composite may be further installed in an inner wall of the housing.
The housing, the heat radiation plate, and the outer crucible may be an integral body.
The method may further include preparing a pair of the crucible units having spray units symmetrical to each other to arrange the spray units to be symmetrical to each other, and installing the heater and the heat radiation preventing plate in each crucible unit.
An embodiment may be related to a deposition source evaporating apparatus. The apparatus may include the following elements: a first crucible set for accommodating a deposition source; a spray unit positioned on the first crucible set; a heater positioned in the first crucible set for heating the first crucible set to evaporate the deposition source through the spray unit; and a heat radiation preventing plate surrounding the spray unit for suppressing/blocking heat radiation at a side of the first crucible set. At least one of the first crucible set and the heat radiation preventing plate comprises a carbon fiber composite material.
The carbon fiber composite material may include a carbon fiber granule and a first carbon-based resin.
The carbon fiber granule may include at least one of a carbon fiber fragment and carbon fiber powder.
An internal gap of the carbon fiber composite material may be filled with a second carbon-based resin.
The heat radiation preventing plate may be a single body. A length of the single body may be greater than a half of the length of the apparatus.
The first crucible set may include an inner crucible for accommodating the deposition source, an outer crucible accommodating the inner crucible and configured to transfer heat from the heater to the inner crucible, a housing accommodating the outer crucible and the heater, a cooling jacket accommodating the housing, and a coolant circulation unit positioned on the cooling jacket. At least one of the inner crucible, the outer crucible, and the housing may include the carbon fiber composite material.
The inner crucible may be a single body having a single accommodating space. A length of the single accommodating space may be greater than a half of the length of the apparatus.
The crucible set further may include a heat radiation plate positioned on an internal wall of the housing. The heat radiation plate may include the carbon fiber composite material.
The housing, the heat radiation plate, and the outer crucible may be an integral body of a same material.
The apparatus may include the following elements: a first plurality of spray units positioned on the first crucible set and including the spray unit; a second crucible set; and a second plurality of spray units positioned on the second crucible set and being a mirror image of the first plurality of spray units.
An embodiment may be related to a method of manufacturing a deposition source evaporating apparatus. The method may include the following steps: preparing a first crucible set for accommodating a deposition source; installing a spray unit on the first crucible set; installing a heater in the first crucible set; and installing a heat radiation preventing plate that surrounds the spray unit for suppressing/blocking heat radiation at a side of the first crucible set. At least one of the first crucible set and the heat radiation preventing plate may include a carbon fiber composite material.
The method may include the following steps: mixing a carbon fiber granule with a first carbon-based resin to produce a mixture; and compressing and hardening the mixture to produce the carbon fiber composite material.
The carbon fiber granule may be formed by at least one of chopping a first carbon fiber into fragments and grinding a second carbon fiber into powder.
The method may include the following steps: vacuum-treating the carbon fiber composite material to remove foreign substances from internal gaps of the carbon fiber composite material; filling a second carbon-based resin into the internal gaps of the carbon fiber composite material after the vacuum-treating; and hardening the second carbon-based resin after the filling.
The heat radiation preventing plate may be formed as a single body. The heat radiation preventing plate may be a single body. A length of the single body may be greater than a half of the length of the apparatus.
The first crucible set may include an inner crucible for accommodating the deposition source, an outer crucible accommodating the inner crucible and configured to transfer heat from the heater to the inner crucible, a housing accommodating the outer crucible and the heater, a cooling jacket accommodating the housing, and a coolant circulation unit positioned on the cooling jacket. At least one of the inner crucible, the outer crucible, and the housing may include the carbon fiber composite material.
The inner crucible may be formed as a single body having a single accommodating space. A length of the single accommodating space may be greater than a half of the length of the apparatus.
The method may include the following steps: preparing a heat radiation plate formed of the carbon fiber composite material; and installing the heat radiation plate on an inner wall of the housing.
The housing, the heat radiation plate, and the outer crucible may be an integral body of a same material.
The method may include the following steps: installing a first plurality of spray units on the first crucible set, wherein the first plurality of spray units includes the spray unit; preparing a second crucible set; installing a second plurality of spray units on the second crucible set, wherein the second plurality of spray units may be a mirror image of the first plurality of spray units.
Example embodiments are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Like reference numerals may refer to like elements. Practical embodiments may have different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the descriptions set forth herein.
In the descriptions, an expression used in the singular may encompass the expression of the plural.
The terms such as “including,” “having,” and “comprising” may indicate the existence of the stated features or components and may not preclude the possibility that one or more other features or components may be included.
Sizes of components in the drawings may be exaggerated for convenience of explanation.
When a certain embodiment may be implemented differently, a specific process order may be performed differently from the described order. For example, two consecutively described processes may be performed substantially at the same time or performed in an order opposite to the described order.
Although the terms “first,” “second,” etc. may be used to describe various elements, these elements, should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be used to distinguish one element from another element. A first element may be termed a second element without departing from teachings of one or more embodiments. The description of an element as a “first” element may not require or imply the presence of a second element or other elements. The terms “first,” “second,” etc. may be used to differentiate different categories or sets of elements. For conciseness, the terms “first,” “second,” etc. may represent “first-type (or first-set),” “second-type (or second-set),” etc., respectively.
As shown in
When the deposition source evaporating apparatus 100 inside the chamber 400 spurts/provides the deposition gas through a spray unit 121a, the deposition gas passes through an opening of the mask 200 and adheres to the target substrate 300 to form a thin film having a (predetermined) pattern.
Referring to
Referring to
Reference numeral 111 refers to a through hole formed in the heat radiation preventing plate 110 in correspondence with the spray unit 121a. Reference numeral 125 refers to a cooling jacket 125 having a coolant circulation unit 125a in the crucible unit 120; the cooling jacket 125 is provided to properly cool the surroundings of the heater 130 such that the surroundings are not overheated by the heater 130.
As shown in
The inner crucible 121 directly accommodates the deposition source in an inner space of the inner crucible 121. When the accommodated deposition source is exhausted, the inner crucible 121 is taken out from the crucible unit 120, replacement deposition source is filled in the inner/accommodating space of the inner crucible 121, and then the inner crucible 121 is reinstalled to be used.
The outer crucible 122 contains the inner crucible 121, and the heater 130 is installed on an outer wall of the outer crucible 122 to provide heat though the outer crucible 122 to the inner crucible 121.
The housing 124 contains the outer crucible 122 and the heater 130, and the heat radiation plate 123 is arranged on an inner bottom surface of the housing 124. The heat radiation plate 123 protects the housing 124 from being deformed by the heat of the heater 130. One or more additional or alternative heat radiation plates 123 may be provided on a side surface and/or an outer surface of the housing 124. In an embodiment, a frame (not shown) may be installed on the bottom surface of the housing 124 to support the heat radiation plate 123. Reference numeral 131 refers to an insulator which maintains a gap such that the heater 130 does not directly contact an inner wall of the housing 124.
The cooling jacket 125 contains the housing 124 and may properly cool the housing 124 with coolant circulating through the coolant circulation unit 125a installed on an outer wall of the cooling jacket 125.
In an embodiment, the heat radiation preventing plate 110, the inner crucible 121 and the outer crucible 122, and the housing 124 are each formed as a single body instead of as a divided body. For example, a body of the heat radiation preventing plate 110 is not divided into several portions but is formed as one entire body. The inner crucible 121 is also formed as a single body having a single accommodating space, and likewise, the outer crucible 122, the heat radiation plate 123, and the housing 124 are each formed as a single body.
In comparative examples, the above-described components may not be formed as a single body but may be formed by forming several separate portions and then attaching the portions together for use. The reason is that a possibility of thermal deformation is increased when the above-described components are formed as a single body. Since the heat radiation preventing plate 110 and the housing 124 receive heat from the heater 130 in a deposition operation at a temperature over 1000 degrees Celsius for a long time, there is a concern about thermal deformation, and in particular, there may be a higher possibility of deformation such as twisting when the members are large and long. Therefore, in comparative examples, the members are made small and short and then attached together for use to reduce the risk of such deformation. In comparative examples, a gap may be formed in a region where various pieces of the heat radiation preventing plate 110 meet and heat of a high temperature is released to the outside through each gap; the configuration may increase the risk of deterioration of the target substrate 300 or surrounding equipment due to heat. In terms of workability, there are considerable disadvantages in that the manufacturing process becomes complicated since an additional assembling operation, in which members are attached together after being made as individual bodies, needs to be carried out.
In an embodiment, as the heat radiation preventing plate 110, the inner crucible 121, the outer crucible 122, and the housing 124 are each formed as a single body, problems of such heat radiation leakage or complicated manufacturing operation may be prevented.
The reason why the members may be formed as a single body is that the material for forming the members has been improved by a carbon fiber composite. A carbon fiber composite has excellent heat resistance and may withstand a temperature over around 1300 degrees Celsius for a long time without deformation.
The heat radiation preventing plate 110 is basically prepared as a single body (or monolithic body) formed of a carbon fiber composite material to prevent gaps in a body of the heat radiation preventing plate 110 where there is a risk of heat leakage, and a simple production operation that does not require attaching of multiple pieces is implemented.
The inner crucible 121, the outer crucible 122, the heat radiation plate 123, the housing 124, and a frame (not shown) supporting the heat radiation plate 123 inside the housing 124 may all be formed as a single body using the above-described carbon fiber composite material. Even when a deposition operation of high temperature is continued for a long time, a highly stable operating environment (in which there is no risk such as thermal deformation of the members themselves or heat leakage to the outside) may be realized; thus, both workability and product quality may be improved.
The deposition source evaporating apparatus 100 may be used for deposition of various thin films, for example, to form a metal electrode layer or an organic/inorganic film of an organic light-emitting display device.
Referring to
The TFT includes an active layer 331, a gate insulating film 332 formed to cover the active layer 331, and a gate electrode 333 on the gate insulating film 332.
An interlayer insulating film 334 is formed to cover the gate electrode 333, and a source electrode 335a and a drain electrode 335b are formed on the interlayer insulating film 334.
The source electrode 335a and the drain electrode 335b are respectively in contact with a source region and a drain region of the active layer 331 through contact holes formed in the gate insulating film 332 and the interlayer insulating film 334.
A pixel electrode 321 of an organic light-emitting diode OLED is connected to the drain electrode 335b. The pixel electrode 321 is formed on a planarizing film 337, and a pixel defining layer 338 defining a sub-pixel region is formed on the pixel electrode 321. A light-emitting layer 326 of the organic light-emitting diode OLED is formed in an opening of the pixel defining layer 338, and an opposite electrode 327 is deposited thereon. The opening surrounded by the pixel defining layer 338 is a region of one sub-pixel region such as a red pixel R, a green pixel G, or a blue pixel B, and the light-emitting layer 326 of a corresponding color is formed in the opening. A thin film encapsulation layer 339 in which an organic film 339a and an inorganic film 339b are alternately stacked may be formed on the opposite electrode 327.
The organic film 339a and the inorganic film 339b of the thin film encapsulation layer 339 and/or the opposite electrode 327 (which is a metal layer) may be formed by the deposition source evaporating apparatus 100 (which includes components formed of the carbon fiber composite material).
The manufacturing operation of the members of the deposition source evaporating apparatus 100 using the above-described carbon fiber composite may be performed according to the flowchart shown in
First, the carbon fiber composite used as a material for forming the members may be prepared by mixing carbon fiber granules and a first carbon-based resin (S1). The carbon fiber granules may be/include chopped fragments and/or ground powder, which may be mixed with the first carbon-based resin to produce a material in a paste state, shown in
Therefore, the foreign substances are removed by a vacuum exhaust (S4), and the gaps are filled with a second carbon-based resin (S5). Referring to
After the step S5, the material 10 is heated again and hardened, the second carbon-based resin 20 filled in the gaps is hardened and becomes integral with a main body of the material 10.
The material resulted from the step S6 has very high heat resistance and proper strength for forming the members of the deposition source evaporating apparatus 100. The material is molded to form the heat radiation preventing plate 110, the inner crucible 121, the outer crucible 122, the heat radiation plate 123, and the housing 124 (S7). Even when a deposition operation of high temperature is continued for a long time, a highly stable operation environment (in which there is no risk such as the thermal deformation of the members themselves or heat leakage to the outside) may be realized.
The cooling jacket 125 may also include a/the carbon fiber composite. The cooling jacket 125 may include the coolant circulation unit 125a and may serve as an outermost protection wall of the crucible unit 120. The cooling jacket 125 may require a higher impact resistance than heat resistance. Therefore, the cooling jacket 125 may alternatively or additionally include stainless steel. The heater 130 may include a material such as Ta and W, and the insulator 131 may include a material in which AlN and BN are mixed. The cooling jacket 125, the heater 130, and the insulator 131 may or may not include the carbon fiber composite. The heat radiation preventing plate 110, the inner crucible 121 and the outer crucible 122, the heat radiation plate 123, and the housing 124 may be formed of the carbon fiber composite to ensure a strong heat resistance.
The heat radiation plate 123-1 may be a single layer or may include a plurality of stacked layers to enhance the heat radiation effects.
According to embodiments, a deposition operation may also be performed smoothly and reliably for a long time, a life span of the components may be prolonged, and both the workability and the deposition quality may be optimized. One or more of the members of the deposition source evaporation apparatus may be formed as one continuous body (or monolithic body) instead of as several small discrete portions. Advantageously, the manufacturing and management of the apparatus may be substantially convenient.
Embodiments described herein should be considered in an illustrative sense and not for purposes of limitation. Descriptions of features or aspects each embodiment may be applicable for other embodiments.
While one or more embodiments have been described with reference to the figures, various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the scope defined by the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2019-0023286 | Feb 2019 | KR | national |
This application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/721,816 filed Dec. 19, 2019, which claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0023286, filed on Feb. 27, 2019, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office; the disclosure of the Korean Patent Application is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16721816 | Dec 2019 | US |
| Child | 17497851 | US |
