Ovjp injection block

Abstract

This application relates to OVJP injection blocks. The invention provides a deposition apparatus comprising an injection block and a print die that allows for vertical movement of the injection block while still maintaining a connection between the print die and an external gas source. Also disclosed is an injection block suitable for such an apparatus that provides improved vertical motion range and thermal consistency compared to conventional injection block apparatuses.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference of related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 63 / 211,177, filed June 16, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This invention relates to apparatus and techniques for manufacturing organic emitting devices, such as organic light-emitting diodes, as well as apparatus and techniques including organic emitting devices. Background Technology

[0004] For many reasons, optoelectronic devices utilizing organic materials are becoming increasingly popular. Many of the materials used to manufacture these devices are relatively inexpensive, thus organic optoelectronic devices have the potential to offer a cost advantage over inorganic devices. Furthermore, the inherent properties of organic materials, such as their flexibility, make them more suitable for specific applications, such as fabrication on flexible substrates. Examples of organic optoelectronic devices include organic light-emitting diodes / devices (OLEDs), organic phototransistors, organic photovoltaic cells, and organic photodetectors. For OLEDs, organic materials can exhibit performance advantages over conventional materials. For instance, the wavelength of light emitted by an organic emitting layer can often be easily tuned using appropriate dopants.

[0005] OLEDs utilize organic thin films that emit light when a voltage is applied to the device. OLEDs are becoming an increasingly popular technology for applications such as flat panel displays, lighting, and backlighting. Several OLED materials and configurations are described in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,844,363, 6,303,238, and 5,707,745, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0006] One application of phosphorescent emitting molecules is in full-color displays. Industry standards for such displays require pixels suited to emitting specific colors (called "saturated" colors). Specifically, these standards require pixels saturated with red, green, and blue light. Alternatively, OLEDs can be designed to emit white light. In conventional liquid crystal displays, absorption filters are used to filter the emission from a white backlight to produce red, green, and blue emission. The same technology can be used for OLEDs. White OLEDs can be a single EML device or a stacked structure. Color can be measured using CIE coordinates, well-known in the field.

[0007] As used herein, the term "organic" includes both polymeric materials and small-molecule organic materials that can be used to manufacture organic optoelectronic devices. "Small molecule" refers to any organic material that is not a polymer, and "small molecule" can actually be quite large. In some cases, small molecules may include repeating units. For example, using long-chain alkyl groups as substituents does not remove the molecule from the "small molecule" category. Small molecules can also be incorporated into polymers, for example, as side groups on the polymer backbone or as part of the backbone. Small molecules can also serve as the core portion of dendritic polymers, which consist of a series of chemical shells built upon the core portion. The core portion of a dendritic polymer can be a fluorescent or phosphorescent small-molecule emitter. Dendritic polymers can be "small molecules," and all dendritic polymers currently used in the OLED field are considered small molecules.

[0008] As used herein, "top" means furthest from the substrate, and "bottom" means closest to the substrate. When the first layer is described as being "placed" "above" the second layer, the first layer is placed further away from the substrate. Unless specified that the first layer "contacts" the second layer, other layers may exist between the first and second layers. For example, even if various organic layers exist between the cathode and anode, the cathode may still be described as being "placed" "above" the anode.

[0009] As used herein, “solution-handleable” means capable of dissolving, dispersing or transporting in and / or depositing from a liquid medium in the form of a solution or suspension.

[0010] When a ligand is considered to directly contribute to the photosensitivity of the emissive material, the ligand may be referred to as "photosensitive." When a ligand is considered not to contribute to the photosensitivity of the emissive material, the ligand may be referred to as "auxiliary," but auxiliary ligands can alter the properties of photosensitizing ligands.

[0011] As used herein, and as will generally be understood by those skilled in the art, if the first energy level is closer to the vacuum level, then the first "Highest Occupied Molecular Orbital" (HOMO) or "Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbital" (LUMO) level is "greater than" or "higher than" the second HOMO or LUMO level. Since the ionization potential (IP) is measured as a negative energy relative to the vacuum level, a higher HOMO level corresponds to an IP with a smaller absolute value (less negative IP). Similarly, a higher LUMO level corresponds to an electron affinity (EA) with a smaller absolute value (less negative EA). On a conventional energy level diagram with the vacuum level at the top, the LUMO levels of a material are higher than the HOMO levels of the same material. "Higher" HOMO or LUMO levels appear to be closer to the top of this diagram than "lower" HOMO or LUMO levels.

[0012] As used herein, and as will generally be understood by those skilled in the art, if the first work function has a higher absolute value, then the first work function is “greater” or “higher” than the second work function. This is because the work function is typically measured as a negative number relative to the vacuum level, meaning that the “higher” work function is more negative. On a conventional energy level diagram with the vacuum level at the top, the “higher” work function is illustrated as being farther from the vacuum level in the downward direction. Therefore, the definitions of HOMO and LUMO levels follow different rules than those for the work function.

[0013] This document may describe layers, materials, regions, and devices by referring to the color of light emitted. Generally, as used herein, an emitting region that produces light of a particular color may include one or more emitting layers arranged in a stacked manner on top of each other.

[0014] As used herein, a "red" layer, material, region, or device refers to a layer, material, region, or device that emits light or whose emission spectrum has a peak in the range of about 580-700 nm. Similarly, a "green" layer, material, region, or device refers to a layer, material, region, or device that emits or has an emission spectrum with a peak wavelength in the range of about 500-600 nm; a "blue" layer, material, or device refers to a layer, material, or device that emits or has an emission spectrum with a peak wavelength in the range of about 400-500 nm; and a "yellow" layer, material, region, or device refers to a layer, material, region, or device with an emission spectrum with a peak wavelength in the range of about 540-600 nm. In some arrangements, individual regions, layers, materials, regions, or devices may provide separate "dark blue" and "light blue" light. As used herein, in an arrangement that provides separate "light blue" and "dark blue" components, the "dark blue" component refers to a component whose peak emission wavelength is at least about 4 nm smaller than the peak emission wavelength of the "light blue" component. Typically, the peak emission wavelength of the "light blue" component is in the range of approximately 465 nm to 500 nm, and the peak emission wavelength of the "dark blue" component is in the range of approximately 400 nm to 470 nm, although these ranges can vary for some configurations. Similarly, a color-changing layer refers to a layer that converts or modifies light of another color to have a wavelength specified for that color. For example, a "red" filter refers to a filter that forms light with wavelengths in the range of approximately 580-700 nm. Generally, there are two types of color-changing layers: filters that modify the spectrum by removing unwanted wavelengths of light, and color-changing layers that convert higher-energy photons into lower-energy ones. A "color" component refers to a component that, when activated or used, produces or otherwise emits light of a specific color as described above. For example, "a first emission region of a first color" and "a second emission region of a second color different from the first color" describe two emission regions that emit two different colors as described above when activated within the device.

[0015] As used herein, emitting materials, layers, and regions can be distinguished from each other and from other structures based on the light initially generated by said material, layer, or region, rather than by the light ultimately emitted by the same or different structures. Initial light generation is typically a result of energy level changes that lead to photon emission. For example, an organic emitting material can initially generate blue light, which can be converted into red or green light by a color filter, quantum dot, or other structure, causing the entire emitting stack or sub-pixel to emit red or green light. In this case, the initial emitting material or layer can be referred to as the "blue" component, even if the sub-pixel is a "red" or "green" component.

[0016] In some cases, the color of components, such as the color of emitting regions, subpixels, color-changing layers, etc., can preferably be described according to 1931 CIE coordinates. For example, a yellow emitting material may have multiple peak emission wavelengths, one in or near the edge of the "green" region and one in or near the edge of the "red" region, as previously described. Therefore, as used herein, each color item also corresponds to a shape in the 1931 CIE coordinate color space. The shape in the 1931 CIE color space is constructed by following the trajectory between two color points and any other interior points. For example, the interior shape parameters for red, green, blue, and yellow can be defined as follows:

[0017]

[0018] Further details about OLEDs and the definitions described above can be found in U.S. Patent No. 7,279,704, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Summary of the Invention

[0019] According to an embodiment, an organic vapor jet printing (OVJP) apparatus includes a printed die; and an injection block having an internal groove and an internal gas distribution manifold entirely within the injection block to distribute carrier gas and / or vacuum to the printed die. A flexible bellows may be disposed within the internal groove of the injection block and in fluid communication with the internal gas distribution manifold, allowing the injection block to move vertically relative to a fixed-position gas distribution system by at least 150 μm, 300 μm, or more, while maintaining fluid connection between the printed die and the injection block. The injection block may be made from a monolithic material block, wherein the internal gas distribution manifold is formed by one or more channels machined into the monolithic material block. An internal seal may be placed on the groove, in fluid communication with a first end of the flexible bellows and with the internal gas distribution manifold. The internal groove may be disposed adjacent to the outer surface of the injection block and may further include an external seal to seal the internal groove from the external environment and retain heat within the internal groove. An inlet pipe may be connected to and in fluid communication with the bellows and with a source of carrier gas and / or organic vapor material. The inlet tube can be large enough to allow for large-scale operation, for example, having an inner diameter of at least 0.635 cm, 0.7 cm, or greater. Heating elements can be used to maintain temperature variations within the injection block at 2°C or lower. The printed die can also be formed from a monolithic material block and may include channels etched into the monolithic block and in fluid communication with the internal gas distribution manifold of the injection block.

[0020] According to an embodiment, an injection block with previously disclosed characteristics is provided, including the ability to maintain a temperature variation of 2°C or less during operation and to allow vertical movement of 150 μm, 300 μm or more relative to the substrate. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 An organic light-emitting device was displayed.

[0022] Figure 2 An inverted organic light-emitting device without an independent electron transport layer was demonstrated.

[0023] Figure 3A , 3B The diagrams for 3C and 3C respectively show the perspective, side, and top views of the injection block as illustrated in this article.

[0024] Figure 4 This article presents another example of an injection block arrangement as illustrated in this paper.

[0025] Figure 5 This article presents an example of an OVJP printhead as illustrated in this article. Detailed Implementation

[0026] Generally, an OLED comprises at least one organic layer disposed between and electrically connected to both the anode and cathode. When a current is applied, holes are injected into the anode and electrons into the organic layer from the cathode. The injected holes and electrons migrate toward their respective oppositely charged electrodes. When electrons and holes are localized on the same molecule, an "exciton" is formed, which is a localized electron-hole pair with an excited energy state. When the exciton relaxes through a photoemission mechanism, light is emitted. In some cases, excitons may be localized on excimers or excited-state complexes. Non-radiative mechanisms (such as thermal relaxation) may also occur, but are generally considered undesirable.

[0027] Early OLEDs used emitting molecules that emitted light from a single state (“fluorescence”), as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Patent No. 4,769,292, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Fluorescence emission typically occurs within timeframes of less than 10 nanoseconds.

[0028] Recently, OLEDs with emitting materials that emit light from the triplet state (“phosphorescence”) have been demonstrated. Baldo et al., “Highly Efficient Phosphorescent Emission from Organic Electroluminescent Devices,” Nature, Vol. 395, pp. 151-154, 1998 (“Baldo-I”); and Baldo et al., “Very high-efficiency green organic light-emitting devices based on electrophosphorescence,” Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 75, pp. 3, 4-6 (1999) (“Baldo-II”), are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Phosphorescence is described in more detail in columns 5-6 of U.S. Patent No. 7,279,704, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0029] Figure 1 An organic light-emitting device 100 is shown. The figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. Device 100 may include a substrate 110, an anode 115, a hole injection layer 120, a hole transport layer 125, an electron blocking layer 130, an emission layer 135, a hole blocking layer 140, an electron transport layer 145, an electron injection layer 150, a protective layer 155, a cathode 160, and a blocking layer 170. The cathode 160 is a composite cathode having a first conductive layer 162 and a second conductive layer 164. Device 100 can be fabricated by sequentially depositing the layers. The properties and functions of these different layers, as well as example materials, are described in more detail in columns 6-10 of US 7,279,704, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0030] Further examples of each of these layers are available. For instance, a flexible and transparent substrate-anode combination is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,844,363, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. An example of a p-doped hole transport layer is m-MTDATA doped with F4-TCNQ in a 50:1 molar ratio, as disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003 / 0230980, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Examples of emitting and host materials are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 6,303,238 to Thompson et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. An example of an n-doped electron transport layer is BPhen doped with Li in a 1:1 molar ratio, as disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003 / 0230980, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Examples of cathodes, comprising composite cathodes having a thin layer of metal (e.g., Mg:Ag) having an overlying transparent, conductive, sputtered ITO layer, are disclosed in their entirety in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,703,436 and 5,707,745, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Theories and uses of barrier layers are described in more detail in U.S. Patent No. 6,097,147 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003 / 0230980, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Examples of implantation layers are provided in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004 / 0174116, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. A description of protective layers can be found in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004 / 0174116, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Barrier layer 170 may be a single layer or multiple layers and may cover or surround other layers of the device. Barrier layer 170 may also surround substrate 110 and / or may be disposed between the substrate and other layers of the device. A barrier layer, also known as an encapsulation, encapsulation layer, protective layer, or permeation barrier, typically provides protection against moisture, ambient air, and other similar materials permeating through other layers of a device. Examples of barrier layer materials and structures are provided in U.S. Patent Nos. 6,537,688, 6,597,111, 6,664,137, 6,835,950, 6,888,305, 6,888,307, 6,897,474, 7,187,119, and 7,683,534, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0031] Figure 2An inverted OLED 200 is shown. The device includes a substrate 210, a cathode 215, an emitter layer 220, a hole transport layer 225, and an anode 230. The device 200 can be fabricated by sequentially depositing these layers. Because the most common OLED configuration has a cathode disposed above the anode, and the device 200 has a cathode 215 disposed below the anode 230, the device 200 can be referred to as an "inverted" OLED. Materials similar to those described with respect to device 100 can be used in the corresponding layers of the device 200. Figure 2 Provide an example of how some layers can be omitted from the structure of device 100.

[0032] Figure 1 and 2 The simple layered structures illustrated herein are provided by way of non-limiting examples, and it should be understood that embodiments of the invention can be used in conjunction with a variety of other structures. The specific materials and structures described are exemplary in nature, and other materials and structures can be used. Functional OLEDs can be obtained by combining the various layers described in different ways, or the layers can be omitted entirely based on design, performance, and cost factors. Other layers not specifically described may also be included. Materials other than those specifically described may be used. Although many examples provided herein describe various layers as comprising a single material, it should be understood that combinations of materials, such as mixtures of host and dopant, or more generally, mixtures, can be used. Furthermore, the layers may have various sublayers. The names given to the various layers herein are not intended to be strictly limiting. For example, in device 200, hole transport layer 225 transports holes and injects holes into emitter layer 220, and can be described as a hole transport layer or a hole injection layer. In one embodiment, an OLED may be described as having an “organic layer” disposed between a cathode and an anode. This organic layer may comprise a single layer, or may further comprise, for example, regarding Figure 1 and 2 Multiple layers of the different organic materials mentioned above.

[0033] Structures and materials not specifically described can also be used, such as OLEDs (PLEDs) containing polymeric materials, as disclosed in, for example, U.S. Patent No. 5,247,190 to Friend et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. By another example, OLEDs with a single organic layer can be used. OLEDs can be stacked, for example, as described in, U.S. Patent No. 5,707,745 to Forrest et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. OLED structures can be deviated from... Figure 1 and 2The simple layered structure described herein. For example, the substrate may include angled reflective surfaces to improve out-coupling, such as the tabletop structure described in U.S. Patent No. 6,091,195 to Forrest et al., and / or the recessed structure described in U.S. Patent No. 5,834,893 to Bulovic et al., which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0034] In some embodiments disclosed herein, the emission layer or material, for example Figure 1-2 The emitting layers 135 and 220 shown herein may include quantum dots. Unless explicitly indicated otherwise or as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, the term "emitting layer" or "emitting material" as disclosed herein may include organic emitting materials and / or emitting materials containing quantum dots or equivalent structures. Generally, an emitting layer comprises emitting material within a host matrix. Such an emitting layer may comprise only quantum dot material that converts light emitted by a separate emitting material or other emitting entity, or it may also comprise a separate emitting material or other emitting entity, or it may emit light directly by applying an electric current. Similarly, color-changing layers, filters, upconversion or downconversion layers, or structures may comprise materials containing quantum dots, but such layers are not considered "emitting layers" as disclosed herein. Typically, an "emitting layer" or material is a material that emits initial light based on injected charge, wherein the initial light may be altered by another layer, such as a filter or other color-changing layer, which does not itself emit the initial light within the device but may re-emit altered light with different spectral content based on the absorption and downconversion of the initial light emitted by the emitting layer to lower energy light emission. In some embodiments disclosed herein, color-changing layers, color filters, up-conversion and / or down-conversion layers may be disposed outside the OLED device, for example, above or below the electrodes of the OLED device.

[0035] Unless otherwise specified, any of the layers in the various embodiments may be deposited by any suitable method. For organic layers, preferred methods include thermal evaporation, inkjet printing (as described in U.S. Patent Nos. 6,013,982 and 6,087,196, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety), organic vapor deposition (OVPD) (as described in U.S. Patent No. 6,337,102 by Forrest et al., which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety), and deposition by organic vapor jet printing (OVJP) (as described in U.S. Patent No. 7,431,968, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety). Other suitable deposition methods include spin coating and other solution-based processes. Solution-based processes are preferably performed in a nitrogen or inert atmosphere. For other layers, preferred methods include thermal evaporation. Preferred patterning methods include deposition via a mask, cold soldering (as described in U.S. Patents 6,294,398 and 6,468,819, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety), and patterning associated with some of the deposition methods such as inkjet and OVJD. Other methods may also be used. The material to be deposited may be modified to suit a particular deposition method. For example, branched or unbranched substituents, preferably containing at least three carbons, such as alkyl and aryl groups, may be used in small molecules to enhance their solution handling ability. Substituents having 20 or more carbons may be used, with 3 to 20 carbons being a preferred range. Materials with asymmetric structures may have better solution handleability than those with symmetric structures because asymmetric materials may have a lower tendency to recrystallize. Dendritic polymer substituents may be used to enhance the solution handling ability of small molecules.

[0036] Devices manufactured according to embodiments of the present invention may optionally further include a barrier layer. One use of the barrier layer is to protect the electrodes and organic layers from damage caused by exposure to harmful substances in an environment including moisture, vapor, and / or gases. The barrier layer may be deposited on, under, or beside a substrate or electrode, or on any other part of the device, including edges. The barrier layer may comprise a single layer or multiple layers. The barrier layer can be formed using various known chemical vapor deposition techniques and may comprise compositions having a single phase and compositions having multiple phases. Any suitable material or combination of materials may be used for the barrier layer. The barrier layer may contain inorganic or organic compounds, or both. Preferred barrier layers comprise a mixture of polymeric and non-polymeric materials, as described in U.S. Patent No. 7,968,146, PCT Patent Application Nos. PCT / US2007 / 023098 and PCT / US2009 / 042829, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. For the process to be considered a "mixture," the aforementioned polymeric and non-polymeric materials constituting the barrier layer should be deposited and / or deposited simultaneously under the same reaction conditions. The weight ratio of polymeric to non-polymeric materials can range from 95:5 to 5:95. The polymeric and non-polymeric materials can be produced from the same precursor material. In one example, the mixture of polymeric and non-polymeric materials is essentially composed of polymeric silicon and inorganic silicon.

[0037] In some embodiments, at least one of the anode, cathode, or a new layer disposed above the organic emitter layer serves as a reinforcement layer. The reinforcement layer comprises a plasmonic material exhibiting surface plasmon resonance, which is nonradiatively coupled to the emitter material and transfers excited-state energy from the emitter material to the nonradiative mode of the surface plasmon polariton. The reinforcement layer is provided at a threshold distance not exceeding that of the organic emitter layer, wherein the emitter material has a total nonradiative decay rate constant and a total radiative decay rate constant due to the presence of the reinforcement layer, and the threshold distance is a distance where the total nonradiative decay rate constant is equal to the total radiative decay rate constant. In some embodiments, the OLED further comprises an decoupling layer. In some embodiments, the decoupling layer is disposed above the reinforcement layer on the opposite side of the organic emitter layer. In some embodiments, the decoupling layer is disposed on the opposite side of the emitter layer to the reinforcement layer, but still allows energy to be decoupled from the surface plasmon polariton modes of the reinforcement layer. The decoupling layer scatters energy from the surface plasmon polariton. In some embodiments, this energy is scattered into free space in the form of photons. In other embodiments, energy is scattered from the surface plasmon modes of the device into other modes, such as, but not limited to, organic waveguide modes, substrate modes, or another waveguide mode. If energy is scattered into the non-free-space modes of the OLED, other decoupling schemes can be incorporated to extract the energy into free space. In some embodiments, one or more intervention layers may be disposed between the enhancement layer and the decoupling layer. Examples of intervention layers may be dielectric materials, including organic, inorganic, perovskite, and oxide materials, and may include stacks and / or mixtures of these materials.

[0038] The enhancement layer modifies the effective properties of the medium in which the emitter material resides, thereby causing any or all of the following: reduced emissivity, modification of emission spectral shape, changes in emission intensity and angle, changes in the stability of the emitter material, changes in OLED efficiency, and reduced efficiency degradation of the OLED device. Placing the enhancement layer on the cathode side, anode side, or both sides produces an OLED device that utilizes any of the above effects. In addition to the specific functional layers mentioned herein and illustrated in the various OLED examples shown in the figures, the OLED according to the invention may also include any of the other functional layers commonly found in OLEDs.

[0039] The reinforcing layer can be composed of plasmonic materials, optically active metamaterials, or hyperbolic metamaterials. As used herein, plasmonic materials are materials whose real portion of the dielectric constant crosses zero in the visible or ultraviolet region of the electromagnetic spectrum. In some embodiments, the plasmonic material comprises at least one metal. In such embodiments, the metal may include at least one of the following: Ag, Al, Au, Ir, Pt, Ni, Cu, W, Ta, Fe, Cr, Mg, Ga, Rh, Ti, Ru, Pd, In, Bi, Ca, alloys or mixtures of these materials, and stacks of these materials. Generally, metamaterials are media composed of different materials, wherein the medium as a whole acts differently than the sum of its material parts. Specifically, we define optically active metamaterials as materials having both a negative dielectric constant and negative permeability. On the other hand, hyperbolic metamaterials are anisotropic media, wherein the permittivity or permeability has different signs for different spatial orientations. Optically active metamaterials and hyperbolic metamaterials are strictly distinguished from many other photonic structures, such as distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs), because the medium must be uniform along the length scale of the light wavelength in the direction of propagation. Using terminology understood by those skilled in the art, the dielectric constant of the metamaterial in the direction of propagation can be approximated by an effective medium. Plasmon materials and metamaterials offer methods for controlling light propagation that can enhance OLED performance in a variety of ways.

[0040] In some embodiments, the enhancement layer is provided as a planar layer. In other embodiments, the enhancement layer has wavelength-sized features arranged periodically, quasi-periodicly, or randomly, or subwavelength-sized features arranged periodically, quasi-periodicly, or randomly. In some embodiments, the wavelength-sized features and subwavelength-sized features have sharp edges.

[0041] In some embodiments, the decoupling layer is characterized by a wavelength size arranged periodically, quasi-periodicly, or randomly, or by a subwavelength size arranged periodically, quasi-periodicly, or randomly. In some embodiments, the decoupling layer may be composed of a plurality of nanoparticles, and in other embodiments, the decoupling layer is composed of a plurality of nanoparticles disposed on a material. In these embodiments, decoupling can be tuned by at least one of the following: changing the size of the plurality of nanoparticles, changing the shape of the plurality of nanoparticles, changing the material of the plurality of nanoparticles, adjusting the thickness of the material, changing the refractive index of the material or an additional layer disposed on the plurality of nanoparticles, changing the thickness of the reinforcing layer, and / or changing the material of the reinforcing layer. The plurality of nanoparticles of the device may be formed from at least one of the following: a metal, a dielectric material, a semiconductor material, a metal alloy, a mixture of dielectric materials, a stack or layer of one or more materials, and / or a core of a type of material, wherein the core is coated with a shell of a different type of material. In some embodiments, the decoupling layer is composed of at least metal nanoparticles, wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of: Ag, Al, Au, Ir, Pt, Ni, Cu, W, Ta, Fe, Cr, Mg, Ga, Rh, Ti, Ru, Pd, In, Bi, Ca, alloys or mixtures of these materials, and stacks of these materials. Multiple nanoparticles may have additional layers disposed on them. In some embodiments, the polarization of the emission can be tuned using the decoupling layer. Changing the dimension and periodicity of the decoupling layer can select a class of polarizations that preferentially decouple to air. In some embodiments, the decoupling layer also functions as an electrode of the device.

[0042] It is believed that the internal quantum efficiency (IQE) of fluorescent OLEDs can exceed the 25% spin statistical limit through delayed fluorescence. As used in this paper, there are two types of delayed fluorescence: P-type delayed fluorescence and E-type delayed fluorescence. P-type delayed fluorescence is generated by triplet-triplet annihilation (TTA).

[0043] On the other hand, E-type delayed fluorescence does not depend on the collision of two triplet states, but rather on the thermal population between the triplet and singlet excited states. Compounds capable of producing E-type delayed fluorescence are required to have a very small singlet-triple gap. Thermal energy can activate transitions from the triplet state back to the singlet state. This type of delayed fluorescence is also called thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF). A significant characteristic of TADF is that the delayed component increases with increasing temperature due to increased thermal energy. If the reverse intersystem crossing rate is fast enough to minimize the nonradiative decay of the triplet state, the fraction of singlet excited states that are refilled can reach 75%. The total singlet fraction can be 100%, far exceeding the spin statistical limit of electrically generated excitons.

[0044] E-type delayed fluorescence can be observed in excited complex systems or single compounds. Unbound by theory, it is believed that E-type delayed fluorescence requires the luminescent material to have a small singlet-triplet band gap (ΔES-T). Organic, metal-free donor-acceptor luminescent materials may be able to achieve this. The emission of these materials is typically characterized by donor-acceptor charge transfer (CT) emission. Spatial separation of the HOMO and LUMO in these donor-acceptor compounds usually results in a small ΔES-T. These states may involve CT states. Typically, donor-acceptor luminescent materials are constructed by linking an electron donor moiety (e.g., an amino or carbazole derivative) with an electron acceptor moiety (e.g., an N-containing six-membered aromatic ring).

[0045] Devices manufactured according to embodiments of the present invention can be incorporated into a wide variety of electronic component modules (or units), which can be incorporated into a variety of electronic products or intermediate components. Examples of such electronic products or intermediate components include displays, lighting devices (such as discrete light source devices or lighting panels), etc., which can be utilized by end-user product manufacturers. The electronic component module may optionally include driving electronics and / or a power supply. Devices manufactured according to embodiments of the present invention can be incorporated into a wide variety of consumer products having one or more electronic component modules (or units) incorporated therein. A consumer product incorporating an OLED is disclosed, wherein the OLED comprises compounds of the present disclosure in its organic layer. The consumer product should include any type of product containing one or more light sources and / or one or more of some type of visual display. Examples of the consumer products described include flat panel displays, curved displays, computer monitors, medical monitors, televisions, billboards, lights for internal or external lighting and / or signaling, head-up displays, fully transparent or partially transparent displays, flexible displays, rollable displays, foldable displays, stretchable displays, laser printers, telephones, cellular phones, tablet computers, phablets, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wearable devices, laptop computers, digital cameras, camcorders, viewfinders, microdisplays with a diagonal of less than 2 inches, 3D displays, virtual reality or augmented reality displays, vehicles, video walls comprising multiple tiled displays, theater or stadium screens, and signage. Various control mechanisms, including passive and active matrices, can be used to control the devices manufactured according to the invention. Many of the devices are intended for use in temperature ranges comfortable for humans, such as 18°C ​​to 30°C, and more preferably at room temperature (20-25°C), but can be used outside this temperature range (e.g., -40°C to 80°C).

[0046] The materials and structures described herein can be applied to devices other than OLEDs. For example, other optoelectronic devices such as organic solar cells and organic photodetectors can utilize the materials and structures described herein. More generally, organic devices such as organic transistors can utilize the materials and structures described herein.

[0047] In some embodiments, the OLED has one or more features selected from the group consisting of: flexible, rollable, foldable, stretchable, and bendable. In some embodiments, the OLED is transparent or translucent. In some embodiments, the OLED further comprises a layer including carbon nanotubes.

[0048] In some embodiments, the OLED further comprises a layer including a delayed phosphor emitter. In some embodiments, the OLED comprises an RGB pixel arrangement or a white pixel arrangement with a color filter. In some embodiments, the OLED is a mobile device, a handheld device, or a wearable device. In some embodiments, the OLED is a display panel with a diagonal of less than 10 inches or an area of ​​less than 50 square inches. In some embodiments, the OLED is a display panel with a diagonal of at least 10 inches or an area of ​​at least 50 square inches. In some embodiments, the OLED is a lighting panel.

[0049] In some embodiments of the launch area, the launch area further includes a body.

[0050] In some embodiments, the compound may be an emission dopant. In some embodiments, the compound may generate emission via phosphorescence, fluorescence, thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF, also known as E-type delayed fluorescence), triplet-triplet annihilation, or a combination of these processes.

[0051] The OLEDs disclosed herein can be incorporated into one or more consumer products, electronic component modules, and lighting panels. The organic layer can be an emission layer, and the compound can be an emission dopant in some embodiments, while in other embodiments it can be a non-emission dopant.

[0052] The organic layer may also include a host. In some embodiments, two or more hosts are preferred. In some embodiments, the host used may be a) bipolar, b) electron transport, c) hole transport, or d) wide-bandgap material that plays a minor role in charge transport. In some embodiments, the host may include a metal complex. The host may be an inorganic compound.

[0053] Combination with other materials

[0054] The materials described herein for use in specific layers of organic light-emitting devices can be used in combination with a wide variety of other materials present in the device. For example, the emission dopants disclosed herein can be used in combination with a wide variety of possible host layers, transport layers, blocking layers, injection layers, electrodes, and other layers. The materials described or mentioned below are non-limiting examples of materials that can be used in combination with the compounds disclosed herein, and those skilled in the art can readily consult the literature to identify other materials that can be used in combination.

[0055] The various emitting and non-emitting layers and arrangements disclosed herein can be made of different materials. Examples of suitable materials are disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0229663, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0056] Conductive dopants:

[0057] Charge transport layers can be doped with conductive dopants to substantially alter their charge carrier density, which in turn changes their conductivity. Conductivity is increased by creating charge carriers in the matrix material and, depending on the type of dopant, can also achieve changes in the Fermi level of the semiconductor. Hole transport layers can be doped with p-type conductive dopants, while n-type conductive dopants are used in electron transport layers.

[0058] HIL / HTL:

[0059] The hole injection / transport materials used in this invention are not particularly limited, and any compound can be used, as long as the compound is commonly used as a hole injection / transport material.

[0060] EBL:

[0061] An electron blocking layer (EBL) can be used to reduce the number of electrons and / or excitons leaving the emitter layer. The presence of such a blocking layer in a device can result in generally higher efficiency and / or longer lifetime compared to similar devices lacking a blocking layer. Furthermore, the blocking layer can be used to confine emission to a desired area of ​​the OLED. In some embodiments, the EBL material has a higher LUMO (closer to vacuum level) and / or higher triplet energy compared to the emitter closest to the EBL interface. In some embodiments, the EBL material has a higher LUMO and / or higher triplet energy compared to one or more of the bodies closest to the EBL interface. In one aspect, the compound used in the EBL contains the same molecules or the same functional groups as those used in one of the bodies described below.

[0062] main body:

[0063] The light-emitting layer of the organic EL device of the present invention preferably contains at least a metal complex as the light-emitting material, and may contain a host material using a metal complex as a dopant material. Examples of the host material are not particularly limited, and any metal complex or organic compound can be used, as long as the triplet energy of the host is greater than that of the dopant. Any host material can be used with any dopant, as long as the triplet criterion is satisfied.

[0064] HBL:

[0065] Hole blocking layers (HBLs) can be used to reduce the number of holes and / or excitons leaving the emitter layer. The presence of such blocking layers in a device can result in generally higher efficiency and / or longer lifetime compared to similar devices lacking a blocking layer. Furthermore, blocking layers can be used to confine emission to a desired area of ​​the OLED. In some embodiments, the HBL material has a lower HOMO (farthest from vacuum level) and / or higher triplet energy compared to the emitter closest to the HBL interface. In some embodiments, the HBL material has a lower HOMO and / or higher triplet energy compared to one or more of the bodies closest to the HBL interface.

[0066] ETL:

[0067] An electron transport layer (ETL) may comprise a material capable of transporting electrons. The ETL may be intrinsic (undoped) or doped. Doping can be used to enhance conductivity. Examples of ETL materials are not particularly limited, and any metal complex or organic compound may be used, provided it is typically used for electron transport.

[0068] Charge generation layer (CGL)

[0069] In tandem or stacked OLEDs, the conduction layer (CGL) plays a fundamental role in performance. It consists of an n-doped layer and a p-doped layer, respectively, for injecting electrons and holes. Electrons and holes are supplied by the CGL and the electrodes. Electrons and holes consumed in the CGL are refilled by electrons and holes injected from the cathode and anode, respectively; subsequently, the bipolar current gradually reaches a steady state. Typical CGL materials include n- and p-conductive dopants used in the transport layer.

[0070] As previously disclosed, the OVJP system and technology can be used to manufacture OLEDs and similar devices. Compared to other deposition techniques, OVJP allows for the printing of fine organic material lines onto a substrate (such as a display backplane) without the use of fine metal shadow masks or liquid solvents. Other techniques commonly used to produce displays, such as those for mobile and laptop devices, use evaporation sources and fine metal masks for patterned deposition. Fine metal masks are unsuitable for manufacturing large-area displays because they cannot be stretched with sufficient force to prevent sagging. Inkjet printing is a potential patterning technique for OLED displays, but the use of solvents causes the ink to severely degrade the performance of the light-emitting device. OVJP eliminates both of these problems by printing pixel-width lines without using fine metal masks and by using existing OLED materials without dissolving them in solvents.

[0071] In OVJP, OLED material is heated to a high sublimation temperature in a closed container and delivered to the printhead via a heated gas line using an inert carrier gas. The printhead contains jetting orifices with a spacing corresponding to the pixel pitch of the display. For example, orifices can be formed in a silicon wafer using MEMS fabrication techniques. A functional OVJP die, with orifices along one side of the die, is then diced from the wafer. During the deposition process, the sublimated material is guided to the backplane substrate, and excess organic material and / or carrier gas can be removed from the printed area via vacuum channels inserted into the printed die.

[0072] The carrier gas and the exhaust line supplying the OVJP injection block are heated to between 250°C and 450°C; the temperature is determined by the sublimation temperature of the printed organic material. The injection block and the printed die are also heated to these temperatures to prevent condensation of the organic material in the block and die. To print fine pixel-width lines on the substrate, the printed die is kept extremely close to the substrate surface. The distance between the printed die and the substrate is typically 15 μm to 60 μm, and this distance should generally be controlled within 1 μm of the set distance to achieve an acceptable deposition distribution. To start and stop deposition at the beginning and end of pixel rows, the injection block is lowered or raised from a ready position greater than 250 μm above the substrate surface. Vertical movement of the injection block requires flexible elements connected to the gas and vacuum lines of the block, and these flexible elements must be heated to prevent condensation.

[0073] The gap between the printed die and the backplane surface can be precisely controlled by measuring the gap in real time and moving the printhead vertically relative to the surface of the backplane substrate and / or relative to a fixed-position gas distribution system. As described above, organic material is supplied to the printhead in a saturated gas flow at high temperature, and excess organic material is removed through vacuum channels in the printed die. Carrier gas and vacuum connections to the printed die are typically fabricated using metal tubing. The silicon printed die is attached to an injection block containing an internal manifold to distribute carrier gas and vacuum to the die. Gas and vacuum tubing from external material and vacuum sources are hermetically connected to the injection block. For commercial-scale printing systems, the tubing must have sufficient capacity to supply and extract large volumes of gas; this typically requires tubing diameters greater than 1 / 4 inch (0.635 cm). Tubing of this diameter is not flexible enough to allow the injection block and printed die to follow the surface movement of the substrate without the addition of flexible elements. This prevents or complicates the use of conventional OVJP systems in the manufacture of large-scale displays, as the larger printhead cannot maintain a sufficiently precise position relative to the backplane substrate. Furthermore, OVJP systems require the use of all-metal gas delivery systems to maintain the purity of the gases delivered by the system. Metal lines and bellows do not introduce contaminants into the gas flow, unlike organic polymer hoses which are added to the flow. In high-vacuum chambers, polymeric organic materials release impurities and contaminate the vacuum atmosphere. Using all metals, typically stainless steel, eliminates contamination from gas lines and bellows.

[0074] Flexible, formed, or welded bellows can be added to gas and vacuum lines to allow movement between the ends of the lines. This would be simple if heating the lines was not required; however, in OVJP, heating of the gas and vacuum lines is necessary to prevent condensation of the sublimated organic material transported to the injection block. Bellows and similar structures are difficult to heat for two main reasons: first, the irregular surface of the bellows is difficult to replicate in contact heater designs; and second, particles are generated when the heater and bellows surfaces rub against each other as the bellows flexes. The embodiments disclosed herein reduce or eliminate the need for conformal heaters and prevent the generation of unwanted particles in the system.

[0075] Flexible metal bellows are used in high-purity piping applications requiring a certain degree of pipe flexibility, and in high-vacuum applications where polymer tubing can reduce the purity of the vacuum atmosphere. In cases where heating the metal tubing is necessary to prevent condensation inside, conventional systems use, for example, heat-wound resistance tape applied to the bellows and covered with some form of insulation. This method is sufficient for stationary piping, but it is not suitable for moving bellows as used in the embodiments disclosed herein. Bellows have irregular surfaces that are difficult to cover with heat, and when the bellows flexes, the heat tape loses contact with the bellows surface and often restricts movement. Furthermore, while insulation improves heat retention, it also rubs against the bellows surface when it bends, generating particles that are undesirable in OVJP systems. An alternative technique is to use conformal heating sleeves fitted to the outside of the piping. These conformal heaters include resistance heaters and insulation. These techniques do not work well for flexible bellows because if the heat spreaders are tightly wound, they impede the movement of the bellows and generate particles as the bellows and heat spreaders move relative to each other. Conformal heat-conforming sleeves would prevent the bellows from being flexible. If the bellows is not tightly wound, heat is not effectively transferred to it, making the bellows colder than the pipe to which it is attached. Adding insulation to the heat spreaders further impedes the movement of the bellows.

[0076] Therefore, the embodiments disclosed herein use non-contact heating grooves formed within the OVJP injection block to heat the flexible bellows without requiring a heat exchanger or additional insulation. In this arrangement, the injection block acts as an oven to uniformly heat the bellows without impeding movement or generating particles.

[0077] Figure 3A , 3B The images 3C and 3C respectively show perspective, side, and top views of an example of a heated injection block 301 with a ground groove 302 as disclosed herein. The groove 302 can be any suitable shape and size within the injection block 301, but it is generally preferred that the groove 302 is not larger than the area containing the relevant information. Figure 3B and 4The described features are necessary to improve heating of the groove and the components within it. For example, for commercial systems, the groove may have a bellows-like size, such that the bellows wall is within 2 mm or less of the outer edge of the bellows. Furthermore, because the injection block can be made from a single, uniform block of material, the groove 302 and the injection block 300 can be maintained at a highly uniform temperature overall. For example, during typical operation such as OVJP deposition, the injection block can be maintained at a uniform temperature with temperature variations of 2°C, 1.75°C, 1.5°C, 1.25°C, 1°C, or lower. The temperature can be maintained by using one or more heaters and / or one or more temperature sensors, which can be configured for automatic control to provide more or less heat during system operation. Although the use of heaters and temperature sensors is generally known in conventional systems, such systems typically cannot provide the same range of vertical motion as the embodiments disclosed herein, or even exhibit large temperature variations when under sensor-based control, due to the need for heating and insulation of the flexible tube or equivalent feature, which does not have the same thermal consistency as the monolithic injection block disclosed herein.

[0078] Figure 3B and 3C This section illustrates the bellows concept and details of the groove. The groove 302 is sealed by a sealing surface 307 in fluid communication with a gas distribution network 308 within the injection block. A flexible bellows 303 can be welded to a short pipe 304 and a rotatable sealing assembly 306. The sealing surface 305 mates with a seal formed in the groove 302 of the injection block and can be, for example, an all-metal seal such as a flat tube, a VCR high-purity gas connection, etc., such as a VCR high-purity gas connection available from Swagelok, C-Seals, or the like. The opposite ends of the bellows 303 can be welded to a heating input pipe 310 in fluid communication with an organic source (not shown). Two-part caps 309 can be bolted to the injection block to retain heat within the cavity. A gap in the caps 309 allows the bellows to flex without generating particles. The input pipe 310, bellows 303, and other components can have any suitable dimensions. However, for large-scale installations, the inlet pipe 310 may need to have an inner diameter of at least 0.635 cm (0.25 in), 0.7 cm or greater to allow a sufficient volume of carrier gas and exhaust gas filled with organic material to flow through the injection block.

[0079] Figure 4Detailed views of an example injection block bellows assembly as disclosed herein are shown. The heated injection block 300 includes a groove 302 as previously disclosed. A sealing surface 408 is manufactured in a surface in fluid communication with a gas distribution network 308 within the injection block. The bellows assembly includes a sealing plate 307 as previously disclosed, having a sealing surface that matches the sealing surface in the groove. A flange 405, containing a groove 406 to receive and align the sealing plate, can be bolted or otherwise directly connected to a threaded hole 413 in the groove. The sealing plate 307 can be welded to a short conduit 404 welded to a flexible bellows 303. The opposite ends of the bellows are welded to a heated inlet pipe 310 in fluid communication with an organic vapor source. The heated pipe can be insulated to prevent heat loss. The sealing plate 412 has a central clearance hole to allow the inlet pipe 310 to move in the same direction as the axis of the bellows. The sealing plate 412 can be bolted or otherwise directly connected to a threaded hole 411 in the injection block. The sealing plate can be a single piece or separate to facilitate installation. The cover plate is used to retain heat in the groove to evenly heat the bellows.

[0080] In embodiments such as those shown in Figures 3-4, the bellows 303 allows vertical movement of the injection block relative to the substrate on which the material to be deposited is located and / or relative to a fixed-position gas distribution system (e.g., a carrier gas source and / or vacuum source connected to the injection block), while maintaining the connection between the injection block and the printed die, and between the injection block and the external carrier gas and / or vacuum source filled with organic material. In commercial devices, the bellows allows vertical movement of at least 150 μm, 200 μm, 250 μm, or 300 μm while maintaining these connections. Furthermore, because the bellows is disposed within the injection block and the injection block is uniformly heated by one or more heaters to a temperature sufficient to prevent condensation of the organic material entrained in the carrier gas moving through the bellows, the use of the bellows does not increase the likelihood of condensation compared to conventional injection blocks or systems using conventional alternatives (e.g., flexible pipelines, serpentine gas pipelines, etc., disposed outside the injection block and requiring additional heating and insulation as previously disclosed). Compared to conventional alternatives, the flexible corrugated pipe disclosed in this paper requires less space within the deposition system and further improves the ability to maintain the required and consistent temperature in the flow path of organic materials.

[0081] In the embodiment shown in Figures 3-4, injection block 301 includes a distribution manifold that directs a carrier gas and vacuum source carrying organic matter to a printed die fabricated from silicon MEMS. Injection block 301 and / or printed die may be made of metal, ceramic, or glass. In the case of ceramic or glass, threaded holes in the block may be replaced by through holes, and flanges may be attached with bolts and nuts. The silicon printed die may be attached to the injection block using pulverizable metal seals and back pressure plates, metal solder, glass frit bonding, or any other suitable connection mechanism known in the art. Injection block 301 may be manufactured from a monolithic block of homogeneous material, for example, by bonding a silicon wafer, wherein the desired gas lines and other features have been machined or otherwise created prior to bonding.

[0082] The embodiments disclosed herein are particularly suitable for OVJP compared to other deposition techniques such as atomic layer deposition (ALD) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD). One difference between OVJP and other techniques lies in the temperature at which each part of the deposition system operates to maintain the desired pressure, material state, gas or other material flow. For example, OVJP typically uses temperatures of 200°C–500°C for the gas run-in line between the source crucible and source material container and the printhead, and temperatures of 0°C–80°C for the substrate of the material to be deposited. This is significantly different from other deposition techniques that typically use heated substrates and various combinations of temperature and pressure variations throughout the deposition system. For example, ALD and various CVD processes typically use gas run-in line temperatures of 25°C–150°C. At these temperatures, OVJP material may exhibit a significant degree of condensation within the gas run-in line. Variations of ALD and CVD techniques also use much higher substrate temperatures, typically 25°C–800°C for ALD and 600°C–1200°C for conventional CVD processes. Some CVD technologies can operate at slightly lower temperatures, such as plasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD), which can operate in the range of 200°C–400°C for depositing oxides, nitrides, and other materials for semiconductor, optoelectronic, or similar applications, or in the range of 25°C–400°C for non-semiconductor applications. For semiconductor and optoelectronic devices, low-pressure CVD (LPCVD) typically operates in the range of 400°C–900°C. Even where CVD-based technologies allow for substrate temperatures that overlap with the acceptable range for OVJP processes, the apparatus and system may be unsuitable for OVJP due to the possibility of heat transfer from the deposition system to the substrate, which would damage organic materials on the substrate and / or prevent proper deposition of organic materials entrained in the carrier gas. Therefore, as used herein, “OVJP deposition system” or “OVJP system” or other OVJP components do not include apparatus and systems designed and intended for use with ALD, CVD, or similar non-OVJP processes. Furthermore, as previously described, OVJP systems typically operate at different temperature ranges and combinations of temperature ranges for the gas delivery line and substrate, compared to the temperature ranges used in other processes. Therefore, the OVJP system disclosed herein can be distinguished from other deposition systems because it is configured to operate within the disclosed OVJP temperature range and is capable of operating within said range without damaging the system, the substrate, or the material deposited on the substrate.

[0083] The embodiments disclosed herein are also suitable for manufacturing OLED displays using OVJP, which can achieve a 160 dpi resolution at 25 μm per pixel by direct printing on a substrate without the use of a mask. As a specific example, for a 4K display, a flight height of 10-60 μm with a tolerance of 0.5 μm (substrate printing die separation) can be used, wherein a 10 μm spacing between adjacent sub-pixels deposited on the substrate is used.

[0084] Figure 5 An example OVJP printhead assembly is shown, comprising an injection block 300 as illustrated in Figures 3-4, connected to a printhead 500, such as an OVJP printhead die. Entrained organic material and a source of carrier gas and / or exhaust gas can be supplied to the injection block from a fixed-position gas distribution system as previously disclosed. The injection block then transfers the organic material and / or vacuum to the printhead die. Although shown attached below the injection block 300, in any configuration known in this art, the printhead 500 may also be attached to and positioned to one side of the injection block 300. As previously disclosed herein, the injection block 300 may include an internal gas distribution manifold 308 that distributes carrier gas and / or vacuum to the printhead die via one or more delivery and / or exhaust channels machined in the printhead die 300; however, for ease of illustration, in… Figure 3C and 5 Only a single channel 308 is shown. The internal gas distribution manifold 308 may be connected to one or more suitable channels, tubes, or the like within the printed die, indicated by 510. Although a single channel 510 is shown for ease of illustration, any number of pass-through and / or exhaust channels may be used in a printed die 500 as known in the art. During operation, organic material entrained in a carrier gas is ejected from the printed die 500 toward a substrate 525 positioned above or below the printed die. The substrate 525 may be held in place by a structure 530, which may be a substrate holder, such as a physical holder, a vacuum holder, a floating stage, or the like, or a combination thereof. The embodiments disclosed herein provide more precise control over the distance between the printed die and the substrate compared to other systems that may attempt to move the substrate 525 vertically relative to the printhead. This is especially true for larger substrates that are not typically flat enough to allow for uniform distance control. For example, it may be necessary to maintain the spacing between the substrate and the nearest edge of the printed die within 25-60 μm, with a tolerance of 1.0 μm or less. Due to the inherent sag and non-uniformity of the substrate itself, moving a large substrate relative to the printed die can be difficult.

[0085] It should be understood that the various embodiments described herein are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. For instance, many of the materials and structures described herein can be substituted with other materials and structures without departing from the spirit of the invention. The claimed invention may therefore include variations of the specific examples and preferred embodiments described herein, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It should be understood that various theories regarding why the invention works are not intended to be limiting.

Claims

1. An organic vapor jet printing (OVJP) apparatus, comprising: Printed nude films; and Injection block, comprising: An internal groove completely within the injection block; An internal gas distribution manifold that distributes carrier gas and / or vacuum to the printed die; and A flexible bellows, which is disposed within the internal groove of the injection block and in fluid communication with the internal gas distribution manifold, allows the injection block to move vertically at least 150 µm relative to a fixed-position gas distribution system while maintaining fluid connection between the printed die and the injection block. An input pipe that is in fluid communication with the corrugated pipe and with a source of carrier gas and / or organic vapor material.

2. The OVJP device of claim 1, wherein the injection block comprises a monolithic material block, and the internal gas distribution manifold comprises one or more channels machined into the monolithic material block.

3. The OVJP device of claim 1, wherein the flexible bellows allows the injection block to move vertically at least 300 µm while maintaining the fluid connection between the printed die and the injection block.

4. The OVJP device according to claim 1, further comprising an internal seal in fluid communication with a first end of the flexible bellows and with the internal gas distribution manifold.

5. The OVJP device of claim 4, wherein the internal groove is disposed adjacent to the outer surface of the injection block, and further includes an external seal to isolate the internal groove from the external environment and retain heat within the internal groove.

6. The OVJP device according to claim 1, wherein the input tube has an inner diameter of at least 0.635 cm.

7. The OVJP device according to claim 6, wherein the inner diameter of the input tube is at least 0.7 cm.

8. The OVJP device of claim 1, further comprising a heating element configured to maintain a temperature change within the injection block of 2°C or lower.

9. The OVJP apparatus of claim 1, wherein the printed die includes channels etched in a monolithic block, the channels being in fluid communication with the internal gas distribution manifold of the injection block.

10. An organic vapor jet printing OVJP injection block, comprising: A heating element and a temperature sensor are configured to maintain temperature variations within the nozzle assembly at 2°C or lower. An internal groove completely within the injection block; An internal gas distribution manifold that distributes carrier gas and / or vacuum to the printed wafers; and A flexible bellows, which is disposed within the internal groove of the injection block and in fluid communication with the internal gas distribution manifold, allows the injection block to move vertically at least 150 µm relative to a fixed-position gas distribution system while maintaining fluid connection between the printed die and the injection block. An input pipe that is in fluid communication with the corrugated pipe and with a source of carrier gas and / or organic vapor material.

11. The OVJP injection block of claim 10, wherein the injection block is movable vertically relative to a fixed-position gas distribution system over a range of at least 150 µm.

12. The OVJP injection block of claim 11, wherein the injection block is movable vertically relative to the fixed-position gas distribution system over a range of at least 300 µm.

13. The OVJP injection block of claim 10, wherein the nozzle assembly comprises a monolithic material block.

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